DispatchHealth (formerly known as True North Health Navigation), a Denver, CO-based provider of on-demand healthcare delivery to a patient’s home has raised $33 million in growth capital funding led by Echo Health Ventures, a strategic collaboration of Cambia Health Solutions and Mosaic Health Solutions. The funding also included participation from existing investors Alta Partners, Questa Capital and additional strategic investors.
Founded in 2013 by two mobile health executives, DispatchHealth’s team of board-certified caregivers delivers on-demand treatment with a call, click or tap of an app to a patient’s home, senior community or office without the expense, inconvenience and time requirements associated with traditional acute care delivery.
How DispatchHealth’s On-Demand Healthcare Model Works
DispatchHealth’s on-demand model currently serves 10 different markets across eight states, with plans to continue to grow rapidly across the U.S. Patients can request medical care via phone, mobile app or website and a medical team will arrive within two hours equipped with roughly 70 percent of the same tools and equipment that are found in the typical emergency room.
Whether a patient is sick with the flu, has a laceration or requires a higher level of complex care for serious complications such as asthma, diabetes or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, DispatchHealth arrives prepared to handle a wide array of high-acuity cases. The service is covered by insurance, and accessible to the uninsured, too.
After treatment, each medical team sends timely and detailed notes back to a patient’s primary care physician, senior living community (if applicable) and the patient directly to ensure all parties are kept informed and connected. Among the hundreds of patients seen each day throughout the country, DispatchHealth is able to collect valuable data to spot trends in care needs among different age demographics and identify important social determinants of health.
Pricing & Insurance Coverage
DispatchHealth partners and collaborates with many large health systems across the country, such as Baystate Health, Bon Secours Richmond, MultiCare and Texas Health, to provide exceptional care for patients in a lower-cost setting. DispatchHealth also works with most major insurers and handles billing directly with those companies, including Medicare, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage plans, Managed Medicaid plans, Anthem/Blue Cross Blue Shield, United Healthcare, Aetna, Humana, and Cigna. DispatchHealth is available seven days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. local time in most locations.
On average, most patients pay $25-$50 after insurance for DispatchHealth. The cost of care varies and is determined by the complexity of care provided, any procedures performed, and supplies required. If the patient does not have any health insurance, DispatchHealth accepts a flat rate of $275 at the time of treatment. Payment methods include credit, debit, health savings account (HSA), health reimbursement account (HRA) and flexible spending account (FSA) payments.
Expansion Plans into Longer Term, Episodic Interventions
With the additional funds, DispatchHealth is opening expanding to new markets throughout the U.S., as well as expanding treatment capabilities for patients with high medical needs. The expansion of the company’s advanced medical services into longer episodes of care will help address the needs of the three in four Americans aged 65 and older who are living with multiple chronic conditions.
These patients often struggle with access to care and face limitations with activities of daily living. The company’s delivery of advanced in-home health care is helping to improve outcomes across a broad spectrum of care needs and is expected to save more than $100 million in direct medical spending in 2019.
“All Americans deserve access to lower cost health care. Our growing senior population is a group that often faces mobility limitations and can benefit from the safe, effective and convenient care that in-home treatment provides,” said Dr. Mark Prather, CEO, and co-founder of DispatchHealth. “We’re committed to helping all individuals receive the right care, at the right time, in the comfort of their own home or place of need. The financial support and strategic expertise of Echo Health Ventures will allow us to extend our current care model into longer-term, episodic interventions for individuals requiring more advanced treatment.”
