Is the healthcare system drowning in paperwork and phone calls? The U.S. healthcare system spends over $80 billion annually on administrative tasks, a hidden tax that slows down patient care and burns out clinicians. Much of this cost comes from endless, inefficient phone calls for things like prior authorizations and benefits verification. This episode explores a transformative solution using AI for healthcare administration to automate these frustrating conversations and create a more efficient, "weightless" healthcare system. We're joined by
Ankit Jain, the founder and CEO of
Infinitus Systems, who is pioneering this change.
In this deep dive, we uncover the true scale of the administrative burden in medicine, where physicians can spend up to 15 hours a week on the phone for tasks that 98% of the time result in an approval anyway. This friction not only creates delays but can even have a chilling effect on care, as providers may avoid treatments they anticipate will be a bureaucratic nightmare. We explore how Infinitus Systems is leveraging sophisticated voice AI in healthcare to tackle this problem head-on. Ankit Jain explains how their technology, born from his experience at Google, goes beyond simply making calls. It navigates complex Interactive Voice Response (IVR) menus, engages in real-time conversations with payer representatives, and uses a proprietary knowledge graph to push back against incorrect information, correcting errors in real-time. This focus on prior authorization automation has already saved over 100 million minutes of conversation time for their partners.
We also discuss how to reduce healthcare administrative costs and the critical importance of building trustworthy AI in healthcare. Ankit details the safety guardrails Infinitus has built to avoid "hallucinations" and ensure every action complies with pre-approved protocols and regulations like HIPAA and SOC 2. We explore the difference between a fully autonomous Voice AI Agent and a Voice AI Co-pilot, which works alongside human staff to eliminate tedious work like waiting on hold. Finally, Ankit Jain of Infinitus shares his personal journey into health tech, offering powerful advice for anyone looking to build a career at the intersection of technology and healthcare.
About Our Guest:
Ankit Jain is the Founder and CEO of Infinitus Systems. A former engineering leader at Google who also helped start Google's AI venture fund, Gradient Ventures, Ankit has a deep background in technology and machine learning. The inspiration for Infinitus came from a conversation with his wife, a healthcare professional, who highlighted the immense potential for voice AI to solve the crippling administrative bottlenecks she and her colleagues faced daily.
Timestamps / Chapters:
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00:00) The $80 Billion Problem in Healthcare Administration
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03:08) Why Prior Authorization is a Broken System for Doctors and Patients
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05:43) The Vision for a "Weightless" Healthcare System with Infinitus
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08:27) How Voice AI Automates 100 Million Minutes of Phone Calls
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16:31) A Conversation with Ankit Jain, CEO of Infinitus Systems
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19:12) The "Fraud, Waste, and Abuse" Tax That Burdens Everyone
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22:13) Ankit Jain's Journey from Google's AI Fund to Solving Healthcare's Headaches
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24:33) What Are Voice AI Agents and Voice AI Co-Pilots?
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30:19) Building Trustworthy AI with Safety Guardrails and Context
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35:24) Ankit Jain's Career Advice for Health Tech Innovators