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We just got paid to find heart disease hiding in plain sight.
Bunkerhill Health secured both FDA clearance AND CMS reimbursement for AI that analyzes coronary artery and aortic valve calcium on routine chest CT scans, effective April 1, 2026.
Think about this: millions of chest CTs are performed every year for other reasons. Each one contains valuable cardiac information we’ve been ignoring.
Until now.
💡 The breakthrough isn’t the technology, it’s the payment model.
CMS created an OPPS billing pathway specifically for this opportunistic screening. For the first time, hospitals can get reimbursed for using AI to extract additional diagnostic value from scans already being performed.
This changes everything about preventive cardiology economics.
Every chest CT for pneumonia, lung nodules, or trauma now becomes a cardiac risk assessment tool. No extra radiation. No extra appointment. No extra scan time.
Just AI analyzing data that was already there.
The competitive pricing pressures are already starting. When one technology gets reimbursement, others rush in. Expect rapid innovation in opportunistic screening across all imaging modalities.
Here’s what healthcare leaders should ask: What other hidden diagnostic value sits dormant in our imaging archives? What else could AI find if we had the right payment incentives?
Because this isn’t just about calcium scoring.
It’s about recognizing that every medical image contains more information than we initially sought. And now, finally, we have a business model to unlock it.
The future of radiology isn’t more scans. It’s getting more value from the scans we already do.
♻️ Repost if opportunistic screening should become standard care
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Author:
Jonathan Govette is a seasoned healthcare and technology executive with more than two decades of experience building, scaling, and advising digital health companies. He is the Co-Founder and CEO of Oatmeal Health, an AI-driven Lung Cancer Screening and Diagnostics company focused on expanding access to early detection for underrepresented populations, particularly patients served by Federally Qualified Health Centers and value-based health plans.
With a background in engineering, product development, and strategic partnerships, Jonathan has founded and led multiple health technology ventures across clinical care delivery, regulated medical software, and AI-enabled diagnostics. His work sits at the intersection of medicine, technology, and health equity, with a consistent focus on translating complex clinical problems into scalable, real-world solutions.
Jonathan has spent much of his professional life dedicated to improving outcomes for marginalized and underserved communities. He has designed and implemented frameworks that align clinical quality, reimbursement, and technology to sustainably advance health equity at scale. This mission is deeply personal and informs his leadership philosophy and long-term vision for healthcare transformation.
In addition to his operating experience, Jonathan is an author and long-time writer in the healthcare domain, with over 20 years of published work covering digital health, medical innovation, and healthcare systems. He is a frequent mentor to early-stage founders and regularly advises startups on product strategy, partnerships, and go-to-market execution in regulated healthcare environments.
Before entering industry full-time, Jonathan nearly pursued a career in medicine with an early path toward cardiothoracic surgery, an experience that continues to shape his clinical perspective and respect for frontline care delivery.
CEO | Oatmeal Health | AI Lung Cancer Startup | Engineer | Writer | Almost Became a Doctor (Cardiac Thoracic Surgeon) | 3x Health Tech Founder | Startup Mentor | Follow to share what I’ve learned along the way.
