À PROPOS DE CET ÉPISODE
The same surgery. The same doctor. The same hospital. Same insurer, but a different insurance plan and a price that's three times higher. That's not a hypothetical. It's the daily reality of healthcare in 2026, and it's what Dr. Allison (Alli) Oakes, VP and Chief Research Officer at Trilliant Health, has spent her career trying to fix.
Alli sat down with Nathan C Bowser live at Vive 2026 to talk through what health plan price transparency data reveals about the American healthcare system.
Trilliant sits at an unusual vantage point: not a provider, payer, or employer, but an independent research engine that aggregates claims data, price transparency data, and provider directories to give stakeholders a picture of their full market — including where patients are leaking out and where money is leaving the system without explanation.
Her hot take closes the episode: be as bold about de-adopting technology that isn't performing as you are about adopting the new thing.
Key Moments:
- [00:03:12] What Trilliant Health Does: How claims data, price transparency data, and provider directories combine to show what no single stakeholder can see alone.
- [00:04:19] The Price Variation Problem: Same procedure, same market, three to ten times the cost depending on your payer — and why it's solvable.
- [00:08:25] Garbage In, Garbage Out — Multiplied: Why generative AI makes clean data more critical, and how Trilliant built a five-to-seven-year head start.
- [00:11:38] The Value Equation: Healthcare is 18% of US GDP with worse outcomes than comparable countries. Patients can't shop their way out of this problem.
- [00:16:49] The Hot Take: Rapid experimentation only works if you're equally bold about cutting what the data says isn't working.
Watch the full episode on YouTube, subscribe to The Tech Glow Up, and join the newsletter on Substack → https://substack.com/@mxnathanc
About Allison Oakes, Ph.D.
Dr. Allison (Alli) Oakes is a health services researcher dedicated to translating complex data into actionable insights. With a background spanning academia, government, health systems, and payers, she brings a comprehensive perspective to the complexities of the U.S. healthcare system.
As Chief Research Officer at Trilliant Health, Alli leverages extensive internal datasets to inform strategic decision-making across the industry.
A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself.
At The Tech Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders.
In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.
If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link.
TRANSCRIPTION 🔗
00:00:00.250 --> 00:00:06.639
When you have garbage that goes into your models, you get garbage out.
00:00:06.820 --> 00:00:09.179
I was so excited to talk to Alli Oakes.
00:00:09.470 --> 00:00:14.839
She's the VP and Chief Research Officer at Trilliant Health.
00:00:15.339 --> 00:00:28.285
We talk about claims, we talk about price transparency, and we talk about what it takes to have real effective responsible AI in healthcare today.
00:00:28.785 --> 00:00:34.545
There's an incredibly hu…