An AI Care Navigator That Shows You What Care Costs Before You Book

We're building an AI care navigator that helps patients understand their symptoms, find the right provider, and know what their visit will cost before booking. Today, most people enter the healthcare system not only unsure of what type of care they need, but also what it will cost.

We're fixing this by combining symptom triage with real provider- and payor-specific cost estimates, so patients can understand both who to see and what it will cost in minutes before booking care.

Healthcare Pricing is Broken

Why is it that in every consumer market, whether it's ordering an Uber or buying groceries, we have a clear and immediate estimate on how much things will cost, but it's a total mystery in healthcare?

83%
of Americans do not know what their healthcare products and services will cost before receiving them
Gallup, Marken 2024
38%
report delaying care due to cost concerns
KFF 2025
45%
of insured adults received a surprise medical bill for a service they believed to be covered by their insurance
Rodriguez 2024
$220B
in healthcare debt held by Americans in 2024
KFF 2024

Our Research Confirms the Problem

We conducted our own market research to validate this problem

64%
of respondents were concerned about cost uncertainty when seeking healthcare, the top concern cited
~3
skipped or delayed visits per year among those concerned about cost uncertainty
92%
of patients would be more likely to book care if they had access to an accurate cost estimate before booking

In most cases, neither the provider nor the insurance company can provide a clear cost estimate. The answer is always: "You'll have to wait a couple months and see after the claims are submitted and processed."

Top Concerns When Seeking Healthcare

Our research shows what prevents people from getting the care they need

💰 Cost uncertainty 64%
Shepherd solves this
⏰ Time & convenience 60%
60%
🏥 Access/availability 56%
Shepherd solves this
🩺 Lack of clarity on type of clinician or specific care needed 20%
Shepherd solves this

Why Patients Skip Care

It's too expensive, and no one can even tell me how much I will owe at the end of the day

I wasn't sure if they accepted my insurance or how long it would take to get an appointment, or how much it would cost

I had a fear of costs being too high

It's so tedious to find appointments and see what care my insurance covers at that particular provider

How Shepherd Empowers Patients

Patients chat with our AI, get a care recommendation, see estimated pricing specific to their insurance and likely CPT codes, and can book instantly.

🤖

AI-Powered Symptom Triage

Chat with our AI to understand your symptoms and get care recommendations. No need to know medical terminology. Just describe what's wrong, and we'll guide you to the right type of clinician and specialty.

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Provider- & Payor-Specific Cost Estimates

See exact costs at the provider, insurance payor, and CPT code level. Based on your actual insurance claims data from EOBs. Real costs, not generic estimates.

🏥

Shepherd Health Network

Connect with verified providers in the Shepherd Health Network. We provide transparent pricing based on your insurance and instant booking for every provider, so you can schedule care with confidence.

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Seamless Insurance Integration

Connect with 50+ insurance providers through secure OAuth. Daily EOB synchronization ensures your cost estimates always reflect your current plan benefits, deductibles, and coverage.

Instant Booking

Book appointments with confidence, knowing your costs upfront. Our streamlined booking process makes scheduling care simple and stress-free. No more guessing games.

🔒

HIPAA Compliant & Secure

Your health data is always private and secure. Built from the ground up with HIPAA compliance, end-to-end encryption, and industry-leading security practices.

Benefits for Healthcare Providers

Shepherd doesn't just help patients. It transforms provider practices too.

📈 Increased Patient Bookings

92% of patients more likely to book with transparent costs. Drive more appointments and reduce empty slots in your schedule.

✅ Fewer No-Shows

When patients know costs upfront, they're more likely to show up. Reduce no-shows and improve schedule efficiency.

💰 Faster Payments

Transparent pricing means fewer billing disputes. Patients pay on time because they know what to expect. No surprises.

😊 Higher Satisfaction

Better patient and provider satisfaction through clear communication, reduced anxiety, and improved health outcomes.

Built on Cutting-Edge Technology

Modern, secure architecture designed specifically for sensitive healthcare data

AI-Powered Matching: Advanced natural language processing understands your symptoms and guides you to the right care. Just describe what's wrong. Our AI handles the medical complexity.

Real-Time Cost Analysis: Our engine processes thousands of Explanation of Benefits (EOB) data points from actual insurance claims to deliver provider-specific, location-specific cost estimates with unprecedented accuracy.

Daily Synchronization: We sync with your insurance provider every day to ensure cost estimates always reflect your current plan benefits, deductibles, and coverage status.

HIPAA Compliant: End-to-end encryption, secure OAuth integration with 50+ insurance providers, and industry-leading security practices protect your health information.