The Phone Call That Could Save Healthcare: How Prosper AI Tackles America’s $450 Billion Admin Crisis
US healthcare drowns in admin costs as AI voice agents automate claims calls and scheduling, cutting delays and spend while redirecting staff to patient care.
One-third of the workforce in US hospitals isn’t treating patients. They’re answering phones, chasing insurance claims and navigating bureaucratic phone trees that eat up resources while patients wait for care they can’t afford. This administrative army costs the healthcare system a staggering $450 billion annually – and companies like Prosper AI are betting that voice automation represents the only viable path to making healthcare affordable again.
Healthcare’s administrative burden extends far beyond simple inefficiency. Every dollar spent on billing specialists, insurance verification staff and prior authorisation coordinators is a dollar not spent on actual patient care. Hospitals now dedicate entire departments to appealing insurance denials and overturning claim rejections.
These costs filter directly to patients through higher premiums, increased out-of-pocket expenses and delayed access to care. When administrative staff spend hours on hold with insurance companies or manually processing prior authorisations, the delays cascade through the entire system, creating bottlenecks that make healthcare less accessible and more expensive.
Voice Agents Take Over Phone Trees
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Prosper AI’s approach tackles what seemed impossible to automate just years ago. Their voice agents can navigate complex insurance company phone systems, skip IVR menus entirely and extract information that previously required human operators. The technology goes beyond simple chatbots – these agents integrate directly with electronic health records and practice management software.
The technical sophistication becomes clear in practice. Prosper’s agents achieve 99% accuracy navigating payer IVRs and complete complex payer interactions in under two hours – tasks that previously consumed entire workdays for human staff. Prosper isn’t alone in targeting healthcare’s phone problem – competitors like SuperDial have secured significant funding to automate similar administrative workflows.
Unlike generic AI voice solutions, Prosper’s platform is engineered specifically for healthcare workflows. Each deployment is customised to the organisation’s existing processes and technology stack, ensuring seamless integration without disrupting established procedures.
Real-World Results
At Synergy Healthcare Associates, a leading multispecialty group, Prosper automates over 50% of front desk calls, handling everything from scheduling to waitlist management. Nathan Woelfel, COO at Synergy Healthcare Associates, explains the impact: ‘Prosper has redefined how our call center runs by simplifying intricate processes, shortening patient wait times and boosting efficiency, all the while sounding very human.’
Even larger health systems are seeing results. Voice automation extends beyond healthcare – logistics companies are using similar AI agents to handle millions of scheduling calls that previously required human operators. A Providence-affiliated hospital with 125,000 employees has implemented Prosper’s voice agents across their operations, demonstrating that the technology scales beyond small practices to major healthcare networks.
The measurable outcomes have fuelled rapid growth for the New York-based company, with revenue climbing 4x since the second quarter of 2025 alone.
Market Validation
The recent $5 million seed funding round, led by Emergence Capital with participation from Y Combinator, CRV and Company Ventures, signals broader market confidence in healthcare automation. Jake Saper, General Partner at Emergence Capital, notes: ‘Xavier and Josep have achieved remarkable enterprise traction by building battle-tested AI voice agents specifically for healthcare’s complex requirements.’
Emergence Capital’s backing carries particular weight – the firm previously backed healthcare technology leaders including Salesforce, Veeva and Doximity. Their investment reflects broader healthcare AI funding trends, with healthtech attracting $7.9 billion in first-half 2025 funding as investors bet on AI-powered medical solutions.
The Human Factor
The automation raises obvious questions about healthcare employment. Millions of Americans work in healthcare administration, from call centre operators to billing specialists. However, industry data suggests automation could redirect rather than eliminate these jobs.
Recent research indicates that healthcare automation has already saved the industry $222 billion, with the potential for $20 billion more in savings. Rather than widespread job losses, healthcare organisations report that automation reduces staff burnout and allows workers to focus on more complex, patient-facing tasks. Even veterinary practices are adopting AI scribes to handle documentation, freeing up veterinarians for actual animal care.
Xavier de Gracia, Prosper’s co-founder, frames the mission in patient access terms: ‘Our mission is to unlock universal access to care by empowering healthcare organisations to achieve unprecedented efficiency with AI agents.’
The Trillion-Dollar Opportunity
Prosper’s growth reflects broader industry changes. PwC analysts predict that $1 trillion of annual healthcare spending will move to digital-first, AI-driven systems by 2035. The consulting firm specifically identifies administrative overhead as a key area where resources must be redirected from outdated cost pools into next-generation models.
Recent surveys show AI adoption lagging in healthcare revenue cycle management despite persistent cycles of rising claim denials, data errors and staffing shortages. As Clarissa Riggins, Chief Product Officer at Experian Health, puts it: ‘AI is no longer just a theoretical solution, but it’s a vital tool that can break the pervasive cycle of denials, delays and data errors.’
The Stakes
Healthcare organisations face an uncomfortable reality: continue dedicating massive resources to administrative tasks while patients struggle with access and affordability, or embrace automation technologies that could redirect those resources to actual patient care. With administrative costs consuming one-third of the healthcare workforce and driving up patient costs, voice automation may represent the only scalable solution to the affordability crisis.
Companies like Prosper AI aren’t just selling efficiency tools – they’re potentially offering the healthcare system a path to survival. Multiple startups are now racing to automate healthcare’s phone workflows, suggesting the industry recognises that administrative automation is no longer optional. Whether healthcare organisations will adopt these solutions quickly enough to make a meaningful difference for patients who need affordable care today remains the critical question.
About
Prosper AI is the voice AI platform purpose-built for healthcare organizations. The company’s AI agents automate patient access and revenue cycle phone calls and workflows, integrating seamlessly with existing healthcare IT systems to deliver immediate operational improvements and cost savings. Founded in 2023 by MIT and Harvard alumni Xavier de Gracia and Josep Mingot, Prosper AI is backed by Emergence Capital, Y Combinator, CRV, and Company Ventures. For more information, visit www.getprosper.ai
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