PETE BRUMM, founder of After Transparency LLC, emphasized that he and his team are fully aware that "we're choosing a side" by assigning their priority to helping healthcare providers--rather than payors--leverage oceans of transparent payor pricing data that could lead to significant and lasting improvements in U.S. healthcare finance and care outcomes.

Since Jan. 1, 2021, hospitals have faced requirements to comply with the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services’s hospital price transparency rule, which requires healthcare facilities to provide clear, accessible pricing information online about the items and services they provide. 

Group health plan price transparency rules landed in 2022, and in 2024 more transparency in coverage (TiC) rules debuted. 

Earlier this year, President Donald Trump issued an executive order meant to instill new vigor in the overall price-transparency movement. In doing so, the president made reference to his First Term order of June 2019.

During a series of Venture Nashville interviews, Brumm explained that federal actions during 2019-2025 have produced increased rights of public access to improved caches of both payor and provider pricing data.

However, many provider organizations have been deterred from pursuing payor-price intelligence advantages by the sheer cost and complexity of unilaterally accessing, managing and interpreting such data and then translating findings into strategies and initiatives that are meant to help improve both health outcomes and provider finances.

Brumm said that After Transparency offers to take the "heavy lift" of the entire data-analytics process off providers.

The startup's brand, itself, seems implicitly to challenge providers to take fresh action, now that regulatory rails, innovative technology and services are available.

Just over two years into its mission, After Transparency has more than 200 customers, is profitable and posts accelerating growth, Brumm said, adding that he and his team "believe we have gotten ourselves a market-leading app."

John Bruser

Brumm registered After Transparency in Tennessee in April 2023 and he enlisted Jonathan Bruser as his COO and co-founder.

Brumm is currently 100% equity-holder in the company and serves as its chief technology officer. He and Bruser are joined by three additional FTE, and they are scouting for junior- to mid-level data analysts and sales support.

While After Transparency now markets only to providers, Brumm said the company is approached by employers exploring self-funded insurance options.

Brumm said that within a single week of receiving a request his company can deliver market-level data about any provider, hospital system, radiology practice, etc., et al, in any part of the nation.

Becoming a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company is not currently in the cards. 

Brumm said that extracting and presenting data insights and data-based stories for individual customers is not a heavy lift. Moreover, he said, there's some evidence that by not being a SaaS, his team has more opportunities to build genuine market trust among early adopters.

Asked about raising outside capital, Brumm said he, his co-founder and his existing personal network of trusted advisors often discuss scenarios for accelerated growth.

"We have market fit and can help providers from the biggest systems down to individual practices. Finding interested partners to help us help their clients or friends is the primary growth focus," said Brumm. 

At the same time, Brumm said he and Bruser, as well as members of their network, have maintained ties with industry peers and investors, and they have reason to monitor U.S. and international M&A in its space.

Asked about competitors, Brumm cited only San Diego-based Turquoise Health (Andreesen Horowitz, Bessemer Venture Partners, Adam Street Partners and others); and, San Francisco-based Serif Health (Synergy Capital Investments, Depth Capital Ventures, K3 Diversity Ventures and others).

VNC notes that a Bramble Health, a health marketplace, was acquired 16 months by Turquoise, which has raised north of $30MM since inception five years. Bramble was incubated within the Hashed Health studio in Nashville.

After Transparency's professional advisors include Chicago-based Howard "Nat" Piggee of TigerLaw. Brumm also relies on attorneys with Baker Donelson for trademark-registration services. The startup banks with USBank.

The  startup also sponsors a content series about After Transparency's offerings that are produced by Dallas-based Blake Madden for Hospitalogy.

After Transparency's aligned industry partners include Kaufman Strategic Advisors, Matterhorn Strategic Advisors, Chancellor Consulting Group, Unlock Health, MOZN Solutions, O & P Insight, Think Insurance Group, Mallow Consulting.

Brumm earned his bachelor's in computer engineering and computer science at the University of Louisville in 2000.

He was CTO for Nashville startup Kindful for more than eight years, until Kindful's sale to a competitor, JMI-backed Bloomerang in 2021.

He served 2001-2011 in key software and systems roles within Nashville's Edgenet, which offered a product-oriented content management system and was later twice sold to PE and strategic backers.

In the course of our conversations, it became clear that Brumm -- who had years earlier been spotted playing in a local YMCA adult soccer league -- is now coach of the Nashville Junior Roller Derby team, which we're told came in 4th in national competition. Here they are.

Now age 49, Brumm arrived Nashville 25 years ago. He, his wife and their daughter reside in Davidson County. His LinkedIn is here. VNC

. last edited 13 August 1630