Founders from the Department of Government Efficiency built SpecialOS, an AI-driven platform that automates tasks in Main Street service industries. Their first target is eldercare via Figure Health, where they’ve acquired a Texas provider, plan to open-source billing claims, and use efficiencies to boost nurse pay.

• Ex-DOGE founders launched SpecialOS to acquire and run Main Street service businesses with AI automation rather than just sell software to them
• First acquisition is Figure Health, a Texas home-health provider with 1,400 patients, where AI-driven billing/scheduling savings will fund higher nurse pay
• Figure Health will open-source its Medicare/Medicaid billing claims for public transparency
• Backed by a16z and a roster including Brian Armstrong (Coinbase), Shyam Sankar (Palantir), and several former DOGE officials, with plans to expand into other regulated, labor-intensive industries and eventually go public

This article profiles eight healthcare services companies using AI across their care stacks to cut costs, speed up treatment, and boost patient engagement. From smarter caregiver scheduling at Honor to AI-driven patient outreach at Cityblock, each example shows measurable improvements in outcomes, efficiency, or retention. The piece argues that service-focused models with embedded AI have a durable edge over pure software plays.

• Honor cut home-caregiver churn from an industry-standard 85% annually down to the mid-30s by using AI to match schedules to caregivers' actual behavior, not just stated preferences.
• Ro's AI triage tool slashed median patient response time from under 2 hours to 33 minutes, answering urgent messages in 26 minutes or less.
• Aledade's EHR Overlay is live in 85%+ of eligible practices and made diabetic patients 40% more likely to fill statin prescriptions within two weeks.
• The article's core argument: embedding AI into service delivery (not just selling standalone software) is what's driving durable, measurable gains in cost, speed, and engagement across these companies.