emPOWER AI
Why emPOWER AI is Needed
Over 3 million Medicare beneficiaries rely on electricity-dependent durable medical and assistive equipment and devices, such as ventilators, to live independently in their homes. Severe weather and other emergencies, such as wildfires and prolonged power outages, can be life-threatening for these individuals. The historic 2017-2019 hurricanes and wildfires identified a critical need for emPOWER data to be mobile and capable of being rapidly delivered by voice and typed query to support front line responders experiencing intermittent connectivity. Leveraging the power of artificial intelligence and mobile device applications, emPOWER AI was launched in 2020 to help deliver HHS emPOWER Map data to emergency and first responders on the front line of every incident, emergency, or disaster.
Who can access emPOWER AI
emPOWER AI is a free, public voice-controlled skill that can be added to the Amazon Alexa application on a mobile or home device. Detailed instructions on how to access and add emPOWER AI to your mobile and or home devices are included in the HHS emPOWER AI Fact Sheet, the HHS emPOWER AI Job Aid, and the HHS emPOWER Supplemental Job Aid for Home Devices that are available in the Resources box on this page.
What emPOWER AI Offers
emPOWER AI is a public, voice-activated tool, available through Amazon Alexa mobile and home device application, that can provide HHS emPOWER Map data by voice and typed query and perform single to complex calculations and reporting of de-identified data totals from single to multiple diverse types of geographies. By asking one quick question, users can obtain de-identified totals for the number of Medicare beneficiaries who are currently enrolled in the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service Medicare Fee-For-Service (Parts A/B) and Medicare Advantage (Part C) Programs and for the number of Medicare beneficiaries that have an administrative claim for one or more of fourteen types of life-maintaining or saving electricity-dependent durable medical and assistive equipment (DME) and certain implanted electricity-dependent cardiac devices in the selected geographic areas. To learn more about the data provided by emPOWER AI, access the HHS emPOWER Quick Data Reference Guide in the Resources box on this page.
How emPOWER AI is Making an Impact
The emPOWER AI tool puts the power of the HHS emPOWER Map data into the hands of every first responder, public health and emergency management official, health care provider, utility, and community member. Users can leverage this data and other information about the HHS emPOWER Program to inform and support their emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation activities, such as rapidly identifying geographic locations that may require more first responder assets and assessing evacuation assistance needs and routes in a no notice incident, emergency or disaster.
To learn more about how to access and use emPOWER AI, select the emPOWER AI Fact Sheet, Job Aid, or the Supplemental Job Aid for Home Devices, located in the Resources box on this page.
To download emPOWER AI to a mobile or home device on Amazon Alexa, select the button on this page.
