Fixing the $1 Trillion Healthcare Bottleneck with AI

In this episode, we sit down with Chuck Feerick, founder and CEO of Latitude Health, a MedTech startup tackling one of the most overlooked — yet critically expensive — problems in healthcare: prior authorization and utilization management.Chuck shares how a personal experience in his early 20s inspired him to transform the way health plans make care decisions, using AI to reduce administrative burdens and accelerate patient access to treatment. With a background spanning health plan operations, venture capital, and startups, Chuck brings a 360° perspective on what it really takes to build a successful health tech company.We dive into:The $1 trillion administrative crisis in U.S. healthcareWhy prior authorization delays hurt patients and providersHow Latitude Health uses AI to empower—not replace—cliniciansThe real challenges of selling to health plansWhat every health tech founder must understand about procurement, ROI, and building painkiller productsThe future of AI in care decision-makingWhether you're a health tech entrepreneur, investor, or healthcare executive, this conversation is full of practical insights on solving big, unsexy problems with massive impact.00:00 – Intro: Can AI Fix Healthcare?01:03 – Meet Chuck Feerick, Founder of Latitude Health02:15 – A Personal Story That Sparked a HealthTech Mission04:10 – The Broken Prior Authorization Process Explained06:32 – Automating Utilization Management with AI08:44 – What Latitude Health Actually Does10:05 – How Patients, Providers & Payers Benefit12:20 – Chuck’s Journey: Operator, Investor, Founder14:15 – Lessons from VC for Startup Fundraising in MedTech16:01 – How to Sell to Payers: Complex Sales in Healthcare18:30 – The Role of AI vs. Human in Clinical Decision Making21:04 – How Latitude Uses LLMs to Structure Medical Data23:19 – Training AI with Clinicians: Nurses, Doctors, CMO Input25:12 – Building a HealthTech Startup the Right Way27:00 – Tackling Long Sales Cycles in Healthcare28:42 – AI is Moving Fast — Building for Flexibility30:18 – The Unsexy Problem That Needed Solving33:07 – Why Utilization Management Is the Key to Controlling Costs35:45 – Administrative Waste: The $1 Trillion Opportunity37:02 – Why Latitude Focuses on High-Impact Painkiller Tools38:49 – Consumers, Behavior, and the ROI of Innovation41:00 – Closing Thoughts: What Founders Must Understand About HealthcareRoupen Odabashian:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roupen-odabashian-183aaa142/X: https://twitter.com/RoupenMDEmail: [email protected] (Tiko) Bdoyan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chuckfeerickWatch Our Podcast at:https://youtu.be/Xj89GFyPpxw#MedicalStartup #Telehealth #SimulatedPatients #Fundraising #MedicalSchoolTools #CME #AIinMedicalEducation #CasperExam