WhatsApp Business pricing change impacts Brazilian healthcare communication

Brazilian startup Tolki has invested more than R$2 million in artificial‑intelligence solutions that combine a CRM system with the official WhatsApp API to automate follow‑ups and reduce missed appointments in clinics and medical offices. The company says the technology can speed up patient responses, qualify opportunities and reactivate dormant contacts, addressing a reported 19.2% absenteeism rate for scheduled consultations.

From October, Meta will begin charging for each message sent through the WhatsApp Business Platform, including those generated by human agents and AI chatbots. The fee is R$0.035 per message, turning every patient interaction into a direct cost for health providers. The new model is expected to push clinics to adopt more efficient communication tools, such as Tolki’s AI‑driven system, to keep operational expenses under control while maintaining service quality.