No Surprises
Startup health care app to eliminate surprise billings wins pitch competitions
By Joey Garcia
Miller School student-entrepreneur Miriyam Ghali.
P
atients will soon be able to select the optimal location and provider for elective procedures based on price, performance and in-network availability of physicians, thanks to Crystal Clear, a startup application created by Miriyam Ghali, a third-year M.D./M.B.A. candidate.
“The demand for something like Crystal Clear is huge,” said Ghali, who hopes to launch the app in mid-2023. “As a future physician, I’m bothered that my services could potentially bankrupt a patient and their family. When patients leave my care, the only thing they should focus on is their health and recovery, not how much it’s going to cost them. My mission for Crystal Clear is to provide cost transparency to all patients.”
Crystal Clear works by sharing pricing and electronic clinical quality measures data with patients before they enter the hospital. With this information, individuals can take control of their medical finances, and physicians can receive fair compensation within a marketplace focused on delivering high-quality, value-based care.
Ghali competed in Miami Herbert Business School’s Startup Pitch Competition, placing first and winning $5,000, then placed second at the school’s 20th annual Business Plan Competition to win an additional $10,000. Her showing at the UM competitions earned Ghali an invitation to the 2022 eMerge Americas Startup Tech Conference, where she was awarded one of the first $50,000 Business Innovation Start-Up (BizUp) Grants by Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava and Commissioner Jean Monestime. The grants aim to reward local small businesses investing in tech and innovation.
“My success at these competitions has shown me that I have what it takes to be a great entrepreneur,” Ghali said. “Putting myself out there and stepping far outside of my comfort zone has been rewarding, and I look forward to seeing what the future holds for Crystal Clear.” 
