Claimable: Turning Denied Claims into Human Stories

This interview originally appeared at the Iowa Startup Hot List via Substack.

In the heart of Des Moines, Iowa, where innovation often flies under the radar, a startup is quietly building something powerful. Claimable, founded by longtime friends and colleagues Zach Veigulis and Ben Goerdt, is tackling one of the U.S. healthcare system’s most frustrating and painful problems: insurance claim denials.

From Friendship to Building a Startup, Zach and Ben’s journey began over a decade ago at the University of Iowa. With careers that led them through the Veterans Affairs’ national innovation center and engineering leadership roles, their dream to collaborate eventually became a reality. In 2023, driven by the scale and human toll of medical necessity denials, they started working on Claimable to help patients appeal denied healthcare claims—something 99.9% of people don’t even attempt!

L to R: Jared Griffin (Engineer), Warris Bokhari (Co-founder), Ben Goerdt (Head of Engineering), Zach Veigulis (Co-founder), Alicia Graham (Co-founder), and Jared Gentz (Design). Photo credit: TAI

The Problem: A Broken Appeals System 

The scale is staggering. Of the 5 billion claims filed each year, about 850 million are denied. Yet fewer than 2 million are appealed. Claimable aims to change that by combining deep healthcare expertise with AI, empowering patients with the tools to fight back—equitably, affordably, and effectively.

What They Built? After bootstrapping a prototype and running a pilot at a St. Louis clinic, the team proved that their technology could work. The pilot wasn’t just data validation—it was humanizing. Watch Wendell Potter’s documentary about it here. Ben recounted sitting in clinic rooms with patients, hearing their stories, and sometimes tears, as they described what those denials cost them—not just financially, but in dignity and health. That empathy became central to the product: Claimable’s platform helps people tell their stories, not just present billing codes.

Data, AI, and Outcomes Zach’s time at the VA gave him unique insight into the power of data, particularly clean, longitudinal datasets that AI can learn from. Claimable uses AI not only to automate appeals, but to ensure the story behind the care is heard. Their results speak volumes: an 80%+ success rate in appeals, with decisions returned in under 10 days on average.

A Human Approach in a Dehumanized System 

Claimable stands out because of how they put the patient back at the center. Their technology ensures that insurers see people, not just member numbers. They also encourage patients to CC influential stakeholders—employers, state regulators, even elected officials—making it harder for insurers to dismiss claims silently.

Business Model and Expansion Claimable charges a flat $40 per appeal, aiming to stay affordable and accessible without taking a cut of the claim. They've also launched partnerships with providers and are expanding support for complex conditions like autoimmune diseases and medications like GLP-1s (weight-loss and diabetes drugs) that face high denial rates.

Claimable wins the Technology Association of Iowa's Startup Technology of the Year at the 2024 Prometheus Awards in downtown Des Moines. Photo credit: TAI

Building in Iowa, Impacting Nationwide 

While their operations touch California and major health systems, Claimable’s tech team sits in West Des Moines. Most recently, the team celebrated winning the Startup Technology of the Year at the 2024 Prometheus Awards, hosted by the Technology Association of Iowa in downtown Des Moines. The founders highlighted Iowa’s underappreciated talent and entrepreneurial community, and called for more structured opportunities, like monthly meetups, for founders to connect.

A Call to Action

Whether you’re a patient, provider, or just someone who believes in healthcare equity, Claimable invites you to join their journey. As Zach put it, everyone has the right to appeal—most just don’t know it. Claimable is here to change that.

Learn more or join the waitlist at getclaimable.com.