Team: CarePath

School Affiliation: Washington University Olin Business School

Description:

Carepath.AI is an AI-powered marketplace that streamlines the ordering process for home medical equipment by ensuring orders meet insurance requirements upfront, drastically reducing wait times and administrative burdens for patients, physicians, and suppliers.

Problem:

When patients are prescribed essential home medical equipment—such as CPAP machines, walkers, and wheelchairs—they face an average wait time of 40 to 60 days before receiving them. These delays deprive patients, many of whom are elderly or managing chronic conditions, of the support they need to safely manage their health. The root cause is an outdated process that forces equipment suppliers and physicians into repetitive back-and-forth communication, often relying on obsolete methods like faxing and phone calls. This inefficient system, focused on correcting clinical notes to meet complex insurance requirements, creates bottlenecks that ultimately delay critical patient care.

Solution:

Carepath.AI revolutionizes the Durable Medical Equipment (DME) industry and ordering process by acting as a marketplace that bridges physicians and equipment suppliers, using the same AI technology that insurance companies employ to deny claims—only now to ensure orders meet insurance requirements before they even reach the supplier. This automation removes the need for tedious back-and-forth communication between physicians and medical equipment companies, reducing administrative burdens and errors. For physicians, it means less time correcting documentation and more focus on patient care. For equipment suppliers, orders arrive fully compliant, allowing them to process and fulfill requests faster and more efficiently. Most importantly, for patients, this means faster access to the vital medical equipment they depend on, helping them manage their health more effectively and improving their overall quality of life.

Market:

Carepath.AI’s primary customers are Durable Medical Equipment (DME) companies in the United States, with an initial strategic focus on Pneumatic Compression Device (PCD) suppliers. This segment faces unique challenges, particularly around complex insurance requirements. The company leverages its deep industry expertise and strong relationships within this niche to quickly validate solutions and establish credibility.

Competition:

While CarePath.AI faces no direct competition for its innovative approach, it’s important to explain how we stand out in the broader e-prescribe market for Durable Medical Equipment (DME). In this context, e-prescribe refers to electronic medical equipment ordering from physicians to suppliers.

Value Creation:

Carepath.AI’s marketplace model is built for both profitability and impact: by capturing up to 25% of the $16.3M PCD submarket (within a broader DME sector valued at over $114B and growing at 7.4% CAGR), the company projects an 87% net profit margin, a near-zero cost of goods, and a 14% first-year ROI—all while significantly reducing patient wait times for essential medical equipment, creating measurable social value alongside strong financial sustainability.

The Team:

Justin Lapid – MBA – 2026
Andrew Stenger – MBA – 2027

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