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Cedar Launches Kora: Transforming Healthcare Billing with AI

In a significant stride towards enhancing the efficiency of healthcare billing, Cedar, a frontrunner in the patient financial platform domain for healthcare providers, has announced the unveiling of Kora—its AI voice agent designed specifically for automating patient billing interactions. This innovative technology is aimed at alleviating the workload on revenue cycle teams while also addressing the pressing issue of rising operational costs for healthcare providers.

Developed in collaboration with Twilio, Kora leverages Cedar's proprietary healthcare billing data and advanced AI capabilities to offer a seamless experience for both patients and providers. By understanding natural language and employing conversational tactics, Kora enables immediate resolution of common billing inquiries. Instead of relying on antiquated interactive voice response (IVR) systems, Kora provides clear explanations of charges, explores payment options, and can connect patients with financial assistance—all during the initial interaction.

The agent is designed with compliance in mind, adhering to HIPAA privacy and security requirements from the ground up. It features the ability to recognize sentiment and tone in patient interactions, supports multiple languages, and provides empathetic responses without delays. Should the situation call for it, Kora can escalate matters to a live agent, ensuring patients receive timely support tailored to their needs.

Cedar anticipates that Kora will automate approximately 30% of incoming billing calls by the close of 2025, allowing healthcare providers to mitigate costs and focus their skilled operators on more complex inquiries that require a human touch. This is especially crucial at a time when clinicians are grappling with escalating patient expectations and limited resources.

Dr. Yogin Patel, CEO of ApolloMD, a key partner in this initiative, emphasized the importance of timely communication in healthcare, stating, "The integrated voice agent is revolutionary, already making a meaningful impact on our support staff and patients. By providing prompt, in-depth responses, Kora frees our teams to concentrate on intricate patient needs. This combination of efficiency and empathy is transforming our care delivery process."

As the healthcare landscape evolves, providers face urgent challenges including soaring labor costs, staffing shortages, and the growing demand for better patient experiences. Kora's capabilities enable healthcare systems to address these issues directly by efficiently managing operational overhead while offering robust, personalized support.

Cedar's CEO and Co-Founder, Florian Otto, shared a critical perspective on the role of AI in healthcare, remarking, "We've heard enough about AI promises. What matters now is delivering real outcomes. By utilizing Cedar's deep expertise in revenue cycles and patient billing, we've developed an AI solution that patients can trust and providers can rely on. Our focus has been on privacy, safety, and empathy, ensuring that interactions with our AI feel as reassuring as dealing with a skilled billing specialist."

Kora operates on Twilio's ConversationRelay service, enabling developers to construct advanced natural voice AI agents with real-time streaming capabilities and effective communication handling. Cedar's choice of a warm, human-like voice for Kora underscores the commitment to empathy in patient communications.

Andy O’Dower, Twilio's Vice President of Product Voice and Video, spoke on the transformative potential of conversational AI, stating, "Cedar's solution, which merges Twilio’s advanced communication technologies with AI, is enhancing the egalitarian nature of patient experiences, ensuring personalized and empathetic interactions at scale."

The introduction of Kora marks a pivotal moment in Cedar's ongoing AI strategy aimed at revolutionizing patient financial experiences through intelligent and actionable technology.

About Cedar

Cedar is dedicated to bridging the gap between patients and the financial resources necessary to access and afford healthcare. The company provides a comprehensive patient financial platform that blends AI-driven technologies with a human-centered design approach to create individualized financial journeys for every patient. Cedar’s extensive experience in revenue cycles and commitment to user-friendly experiences have enabled it to serve over 50 million patients across the United States, processing more than $10 billion in payments. Their solutions effectively enhance collections, optimize reimbursements, and boost operational efficiency while elevating patient satisfaction. To discover more about Cedar, visit their website or connect on social media platforms like LinkedIn, X, and YouTube.