The Hidden Costs of Healthcare: Resolving America's Silent Crisis of Medical Debt with Braden Pan

In this episode, Braden Pan, CEO and founder of Resolve, discusses the significant issue of medical debt in America, which affects one in three individuals and is a leading cause of bankruptcy. He shares his personal journey that led him to create Resolve, a company dedicated to helping patients navigate and reduce their medical bills. Braden elaborates on the challenges of founding a startup, the integration of AI in their processes, and the importance of negotiating with hospitals. He also emphasizes the need for co-founders and the evolution of his leadership style as the company grows. The conversation highlights the future of Resolve, focusing on B2B expansion and the broader goal of addressing various types of debt.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Resolve and Medical Debt
03:11 Braden's Personal Journey and Founding Resolve
06:11 Navigating the Complexities of Medical Billing
09:05 The Role of AI in Medical Billing Solutions
12:05 Understanding Hospital Billing Practices
14:47 The Impact of Medical Debt on Patients
17:58 Marketing Strategies and Patient Success Stories
20:53 Future Directions for Resolve
22:37 Navigating Financial Aid in Healthcare
25:22 The Role of a Founder and CEO
30:40 Shifting Business Strategies and Messaging
32:14 Future Aspirations and Goals
35:25 Leadership Evolution and Team Dynamics
39:34 Advice for Aspiring Founders and Co-founders

Guest Information:

• Guest's Name: Braden Pan
• Guest's Title/Position: CEO and Founder
• Guest's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradenpan/
• Company / Affiliation: Resolve https://www.resolvemedicalbills.com/
• Guest's Bio: The idea for Resolve was sparked in 2016, when founder Braden Pan received an outrageous hospital bill for a brief, 15-minute consultation. Frustrated by the complex and opaque billing process, Braden set out to find a better way. That experience became the foundation for Resolve—a company dedicated to helping Americans fight back against unfair medical bills. Since then, Resolve has tackled all types of healthcare billing challenges, partnering with experts across the healthcare ecosystem to reduce financial stress and bring greater transparency to the system.

Takeaways:

• Medical debt is a massive issue affecting many Americans.
• Resolve has saved patients over $55 million on medical bills.
• Braden's personal experience with medical debt inspired him to start Resolve.
• The healthcare system is complex and often designed to confuse patients.
• AI is being integrated into Resolve's processes to improve efficiency.
• Hospitals often prefer working with Resolve to lower their collection costs.
• Financial aid programs exist but are underutilized by patients.
• Braden emphasizes the importance of having a co-founder.
• Leadership evolves over time, especially in a startup environment.
• The future of Resolve includes expanding services to address all types of debt.