Have you ever been frustrated by how long it takes to get into an office to see a doctor, especially when you need your medical issues resolved quickly? Because of this frustration, patients often end up in urgent care or the emergency room, resulting in even higher medical bills.
Bounce software accelerator client MyHouseCall wants to help alleviate this problem by bringing dedicated clinicians and necessary services to direct to patients’ doors. And they’re doing it in a way that saves both the patients and patients’ employers time and money.
How does it work?
MyHouseCall offers a flat $35 per employee per month fee for self-insured employer; this includes all dependents in the household, as well. Using the MyHouseCall app, employees can access services that include on-demand house calls, physical therapy, mobile imaging and basic labs. The company also supplies more than 500 medications, included in the service cost, that can be mailed to the individuals’ homes.
Employees don’t have to worry about copays or deductibles. Additionally, individuals who might get anxious physically going into a medical office can be put at ease by receiving care in their homes.
Providers are employed by MyHouseCall and are available seven days a week.
MyHouseCall co-founder and chief operating officer Michael Cole sees a lot of issues with the current healthcare system. For more than 15 years, he’s worked as a physician’s assistant in urgent and primary care settings.
“Healthcare has three big problems. It’s fragmented, it’s not affordable and it’s not convenient,” he said. “When I was younger, you could call the doctor and get in the same day or the next day. Now, appointments are weeks or months out.”
Initially, the company started direct to consumers, but Michael found that most consumers have some form of health insurance and often don’t self-pay for healthcare costs, even if those costs might be lower. To scale the business up, Mike and his team refocused and started targeting self-insured businesses as customers.
Because self-insured employers pay for each out-of-pocket claim as incurred instead of paying a fixed premium to an insurance carrier, they are a higher risk if their employees go to the emergency room more frequently. The employers tend to pay more if this happens than a fully insured company, so it’s in the best interest of the company and the employee to receive medical care through a primary provider.
As MyHouseCall continues its growth, Michael credits Bounce’s software accelerator program for helping him and his team to think outside the box to meet the company’s goals. He said Bounce has helped make introductions to companies and to think through the challenges of sales and business development.
“I have a background in medicine, not startups. I’ve read books, and talked to people in the startup community, but having firsthand experiences in this space has given us a better viewpoint on how to position MyHouseCall,” he said. “You must continually network and research. Persistence is key in all avenues of starting a business.”
For Michael, at the end of the day, helping patients is the most rewarding part of MyHouseCall.
“Anytime we see how our services and app changed patients’ lives is great. We want to create a better experience of receiving healthcare and for individuals to remain proactive, not reactive.”
To learn more about our software accelerator program, click here.