Anyone who has tried to navigate the selection of a health care plan through Medicare, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or an Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangement (ICHRA) knows the process can be complex.
The number of plan options can be overwhelming and pose a plethora of questions. Which plan will cover an individual’s prescriptions or preferred doctors? What’s the price tag for an upcoming doctor’s appointment? What would the out-of-pocket expense be to have a baby?
WiseCare AI, the brainchild of husband-and-wife team Gokhan Metan M’06 Ph.D.’08 and Demet Metan MS’09, is designed to answer those questions and more using an artificial intelligence (AI) platform that provides a simple-to-use, conversational format.
The platform, which can operate in any language, goes far beyond the standard of a basic search-and-sort function currently used on most insurance websites, offering plan recommendations personalized to an individual’s needs, the Metans say.
“When people visit insurance websites to choose plans, they’re bombarded with information that is not easy to sift through and interpret alone, especially the Medicare Advantage elderly population,” says Gokhan Metan. “And when you try to reach a human customer service representative, from experience, it’s not always easy, and they may not have the answers you need. A lot of people don’t want to deal with that. They want a self-service solution that works and offers plan recommendations personalized to their needs.”
Demet Metan adds, “We’ve entered the world of AI now. It’s going to revolutionize so many industries, including health care. Our goal is to harness that revolution now to make sure that every individual receives the best possible coverage tailored to their unique needs while having an excellent user experience.”
The Right Blend of Skillsets
Prior to creating WiseCare AI, Gokhan and Demet Metan worked in the health care world for more than a decade. In fact, Gokhan Metan was critical to the state of Missouri’s COVID-19 response.
While working at SSM Health as chief data and analytics officer, he ran a model using real-world data from China and Italy. He adjusted it to fit the population and health care infrastructure of the U.S., and more specifically, the regions SSM Health served.
“The results shook me to my core,” he says. “The projections showed a tidal wave of cases that would overwhelm hospitals at 20 times their capacity. The death toll? Two million Americans. I’d never wanted my model to be wrong more than I did at that moment.”
Area hospital CEOs and, ultimately, the governor agreed that Gokhan Metan’s model was likely to be chillingly accurate and as a result, St. Louis and the state of Missouri were among the first regions in the country to respond to the crisis with shutdowns. Metan says his supervisor stated that his actions may have been responsible for saving thousands, and potentially tens of thousands, of lives.
Reflecting on that time, Gokhan Metan says, “While I wish COVID never happened, when I’m asked what the highlight of my career has been, my answer is much different than before. While it’s wonderful to be able to tell companies I saved them millions of dollars, it’s a whole other level to know I helped save lives.”
Although COVID-19 was a unique crisis, the Metans point out that complex health care challenges and access issues persist daily. That reality was the impetus for WiseCare AI, which launched in February 2024.
“While we know we can’t solve every problem in American health care, we decided to pick one and really focus on making a difference,” says Gokhan Metan, who is also currently chief risk and technology officer at Catalight, a nonprofit organization that helps individuals with developmental disabilities. “Ensuring people receive the right health care matters, especially for government programs like Medicare.”
The couple notes that choosing the wrong plan can lead to dire consequences, including uncovered procedures, significant financial loss or even bankruptcy due to medical expenses.
The duo’s impressive backgrounds uniquely positioned them to tackle this complex problem. In addition to Gokhan Metan’s employment at SSM Health, he also worked in data and analytics for the health insurance company Humana and holds a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science from Bilkent University in industrial engineering. He earned a master’s degree from Lehigh, as well as a doctorate in industrial engineering with a minor in finance.
Demet Metan helped design online Medicare training for Tenet Healthcare and then set up and led the analytics and data science departments at insurance providers Humana and UnitedHealth Group. She earned her Master of Science in instructional technology from Lehigh, and she has a Master of Business Administration from the University of Texas at Dallas.
While concurrently operating WiseCare AI, they also run a consulting firm focused on using AI and data analytics to solve problems in health care and beyond.
The Lehigh Advantage
The couple consider their time at Lehigh to be a critical stepping stone on their road to success.
During his time at Lehigh, Gokhan Metan dove deep into economics and finance, while also building key specialized skills and values. He says, “The diverse set of technical skills I developed at Lehigh, including coding and engineering, has really helped me in this journey. But perhaps even more important than that, Lehigh embedded in me a commitment to integrity in everything I do—personally and professionally—and the desire and bravery to help make the world a better place.”
Demet Metan credits her Lehigh design training with helping her create the WiseCare AI user interface. She cites a recent citation from Accenture showing that 75 percent of consumers abandon purchases due to decision overwhelm related to a poor customer experience in digital environments. She’s optimistic that the WiseCare AI interface will lead to fewer interruptions in access to care.
In addition to operating two startups while also working full time, Gokhan Metan was appointed in May 2025 as one of 17 commissioners to the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC). In this role, he will apply his knowledge of health care, data analytics and business to advise Congress on issues affecting the Medicare program.
“I wanted to contribute in a real way and help make Medicare better. One day I’m going to need that program. My wife will need that program. Most Americans will need it. It’s worth protecting and optimizing,” says Gokhan Metan, who attended his first meeting in Washington, D.C., in July 2025 and will serve a three-year term.
WiseCare AI, still in its startup phase, is in talks with insurers and government agencies interested in using the platform for self-service on their websites and to support customer service staff.
–Story by Katelyn Silva
