Our Mission
Provide healthcare enterprises with best-in-class automation quickly, safely, and effectively
(view the original whitepaper on Substack)
Abstract
Agentic AI is augmenting staff productivity and operational efficiency.
The healthcare industry is facing a perfect storm. Reimbursement rates are shrinking, labor costs are skyrocketing, and administrative burdens are mounting. The pressure on healthcare organizations to do more with less has never been greater. Technology has often delivered operational savings, however, recent advances in AI offer an out-sized evolutionary leap. Agentic AI has the potential to reduce administrative waste and alleviate burden on providers, administrative staff and patients. There is also an opportunity to improve worker satisfaction in healthcare by eliminating mundane, repetitive data entry tasks and helping staff maintain cognitive capacity to engage with clinical colleagues and patients.
Agentic AI can free up valuable time and cognitive capacity for healthcare professionals to focus on what matters most: delivering high-quality care.
The Problem
Shrinking Bottom Line
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recently announced a 2.9% decrease in average payment rates for 2025 under the Physician Fee Schedule (PFS) [1]. This comes at a time when healthcare wage growth is outpacing overall healthcare inflation [2], driven by chronic factors such as nurse turnover[3] and widespread burnout [4]. The result? Margins are squeezed – margins for providers and payers may be rebounding but remain at historic lows [5,6]. Overall healthcare organizations are struggling to maintain financial stability.
Administrative Avalanche
U.S. healthcare spending on administration reaches a staggering $1 trillion annually [7,8]. This per capita administrative spend is double that of other developed nations, even when adjusted for healthcare expenditure [9]. This inefficiency also translates into hidden cost of $22 billion annually, representing the time patients spend navigating the complexities of healthcare administration–a burden impacting both individuals and employers [10].
Technology Tipping Point
Healthcare organizations are turning to technology to find relief. While previous generations of solutions like RPAs, SaaS models, and machine learning offered some benefits, the recent rise of large language models (LLMs) and agentic AI represents a paradigm shift [11].
The Solution and Hard ROI
Agentic AI Augments Staff productivity and Operational Efficiency
Agentic AI isn't just about automating tasks; it's about empowering healthcare professionals to work at the top of their license. By offloading mundane and repetitive administrative burdens, agentic AI allows nurses, pharmacists, and other staff to focus on what they do best: providing high-quality patient care.
The Benefits of Empowerment
Increased Productivity: When staff are freed from administrative overload, they can accomplish more in less time. This translates to increased productivity and efficiency across the organization.
Enhanced Job Satisfaction: By eliminating tedious tasks and allowing employees to focus on more meaningful work, agentic AI can improve job satisfaction and reduce turnover, a major cost driver in healthcare.
Improved Patient Care: With more time and mental bandwidth, healthcare professionals can provide more attentive and empathetic care, leading to better patient outcomes and satisfaction.
Cost Savings: Increased productivity and reduced turnover can lead to significant cost savings, allowing organizations to redirect resources towards patient care and other strategic initiatives.
The Ripple Effect of Efficiency
The benefits of agentic AI extend beyond individual employees. Streamlined workflows and faster processing times can have a significant impact on the entire healthcare ecosystem. For example, automating prior authorizations and discharge planning can reduce delays in patient transitions, minimizing unnecessary hospital stays and improving patient flow. This, in turn, can positively impact revenue cycle KPIs and overall financial performance.
The Solution: The Next Generation of Automation
Agentic AI is a revolutionary approach to automation, capable of handling complex data – including written language, unstructured notes, and even SaaS websites – without requiring massive upfront investments in data lakes or rigid APIs.
Ascertain
Ascertain Automate is an AI-powered automation application built specifically for the unique challenges of healthcare. Developed in collaboration with Northwell Health, New York State's largest healthcare provider, Ascertain Automate brings together cutting-edge technology and deep healthcare expertise to deliver impactful solutions.
Key Features and Benefits
Increased Productivity: When staff are freed from administrative overload, they can accomplish more in less time. This translates to increased productivity and efficiency across the organization.
Highly Configurable: Ascertain Automate is a flexible application that can be tailored to meet the specific needs of diverse healthcare organizations.
Rapid Deployment: Our solutions can be deployed quickly and efficiently, minimizing disruption to existing workflows.
Cost-Effective: Ascertain Automate delivers significant ROI by reducing administrative costs, improving productivity, and enhancing revenue cycle performance.
Healthcare Focus: Ascertain is solely dedicated to serving the healthcare industry, providing unparalleled expertise and understanding of the unique challenges faced by providers, payers, TPAs, and absence management companies.
Seamless Integration: Ascertain Automate is designed to work within a client’s existing electronic health record (EHR) systems and SaaS solutions, ensuring a smooth transition and minimal disruption to legacy IT infrastructure.
Ascertain Automate is more than just an automation tool; it's a strategic partner that empowers healthcare organizations to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape
For more information contact: hello@ascertain.com
References
1. Calendar Year (CY) 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule | CMS. https://www.cms.gov/newsroom/fact-sheets/calendar-year-cy-2025-medicare-physicianfee-schedule-final-rule.
2. Matschke J, Pollard E. Labor Shortages in the Healthcare Sector Have Eased, Which May Soften Price Pressures - Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. https://www.kansascityfed.org/research/economic-bulletin/labor-shortages-in-thehealthcare-sector-have-eased-which-may-soften-price-pressures/ 2024.
3. Jones CB, Kim S, McCollum M et al. New insights on a recurring theme: A secondary analysis of nurse turnover using the National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. Nurs Outlook 2024;72, DOI: 10.1016/J.OUTLOOK.2023.102107.
4. Nigam JAS, Barker RM, Cunningham TR et al. Vital Signs: Health Worker–Perceived Working Conditions and Symptoms of Poor Mental Health — Quality of Worklife Survey, United States, 2018–2022. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;72:1197–205.
5. Hut N. Hospital financials projected to continue trending upward despite various Xfactors | HFMA. Healthcare Financial Management Association 2025.
6. Singhal S, Patel N. What to expect in US healthcare in 2025 and beyond | McKinsey. McKinsey & Company 2025.
7. Sahni NR, Carrus B, Cutler DM. Administrative Simplification and the Potential for Saving a Quarter-Trillion Dollars in Health Care. JAMA 2021;326:1677–8.
8. Chernew M, Mintz H. Administrative Expenses in the US Health Care System: Why So High? JAMA 2021;326:1679–80.
9. Wager E, Rakshit S, Cox C. What drives health spending in the U.S. compared to other countries? - Peterson-KFF Health System Tracker. Health System Tracker 2024.
10. Pfeffer J, Witters D, Agrawal S et al. Magnitude and Effects of “Sludge” in Benefits Administration: How Health Insurance Hassles Burden Workers and Cost Employers. Academy of Management Discoveries 2020;6:325–40.