Vital Signs with Jacob Effron and Nikhil Krishnan Ep 57: Taro Health CEO Frank Wu on Direct Primary Care, The History of InsurTech and AI for Payers
Mar 14, 2025
Frank Wu, Co-founder and CEO of Taro Health, shares insights on revolutionizing health insurance with innovative, patient-centered models. He delves into the Direct Primary Care approach that enhances patient-doctor relationships and simplifies payments. The challenges of enrollment and market strategies are discussed, along with the shifting dynamics in InsurTech. Wu also explores the potential of generative AI in transforming healthcare processes while balancing automation with the need for human interaction.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Empowering Providers Over Pricing
- First wave InsurTechs competed mainly on price, not on network or provider relationships.
- Frank Wu believes empowering providers, especially doctors, is key to delivering real value in insurance.
Direct Primary Care Meets Insurance
- Direct Primary Care (DPC) lets doctors charge patients a membership fee, avoiding insurance overhead.
- Frank sees insurance companies as a vehicle to scale and support DPC without burdening providers with admin.
Front Desk Experience Informed Taro
- Frank worked as part-time front desk staff in DPC clinics to understand real pain points.
- He discovered patients often asked if their Blue Cross plans would pay, but DPC docs didn’t accept it, sparking the idea for Taro Health.