Earlier this month, Transcarent teased that it was betting big on artificial intelligence as it banked a $126 million funding round.
Now, it's unveiling WayFinding, a new platform that leans on generative AI to connect members with benefits navigation, clinical guidance and care delivery services all in one place. The tool offers personalized insights using AI and also makes it easy for users to connect with human support.
Members can find answers to questions about what their benefits cover and what services may cost under their coverage. WayFinding will then provide the user with key clinical information and connect them with medical professionals as needed, according to an announcement from Transcarent.
Snezana Mahon, chief operating officer for Transcarent, told Fierce Healthcare that WayFinding is designed to meet members as conveniently as possible.
"No waiting, no calling, no trying to understand or sift through information on websites … it simply finds exactly what you're looking for in a matter of milliseconds," Mahon said. "And that's really why this is so transformative, and truly the future of navigation and care delivery."
The company notes that a 2023 poll from KFF found more than half of insured adults in the U.S. struggle to understand at least some part of their health coverage. When people don't understand how their coverage works or what's included, that can play a major role in driving up healthcare costs.
Mahon said employers frequently report investing a lot of time during open enrollment explaining simple terms like "deductible" and "copayment" to workers, and having access to the WayFinding platform eases that burden.
"You have consistency; you have a solid piece of information that is reliable and consistent," she said. "And the same information is sort of repeatedly being provided. So there's no confusion."
Because the tool can connect people to human support or their providers, it allows the member to customize that communication to their preferences, she said, and move between both AI-generated insights and human feedback.
Transcarent CEO Glen Tullman said in the press release that adopting WayFinding is like "moving from a flip phone to an iPhone" because of how much the platform is able to do.
Transcarent also noted that rolling out WayFinding builds on previous investments made in AI, starting with its acquisition of 98point6's care platform. The company has also made significant investments in its AI team in the past year and is powering its in-house large language models with a database that includes nearly a million physician chats.
"We're continuing investment in large language models in safety systems, which are so important, and then not to mention best-in-class security programs," Mahon said. "And that is where you're going to continue to see that investment from us as an organization."