Speaking to TechGraph, Shashank Avadhani, Co-founder & CEO of Alyve Health discussed how they closely work with corporates and startups to create tailored health plans to meet their specific needs and budgets.
Read the complete interview:
TechGraph: Can you tell us about Alyve’s health services for corporate clients and startups?
Shashank Avadhani: Alyve Health offers a comprehensive health platform for groups and members. Members include employees, channel partners, customers, and other affiliate members. Members can access all their health benefits in a single, convenient platform, whether obtained through group plans or self-purchases. Alyve Health simplifies the process by consolidating multiple healthcare providers, offering a wide range of services such as plans, health check-ups, outpatient care, fitness programs, and preventive care on a single platform.
Alyve Health collaborates with insurance and healthcare providers to create customized group health plans tailored to each group’s unique needs. Our platform integrates with over 25 healthcare and insurance networks, allowing us to customize plans and programs swiftly. This seamless integration ensures easy access to a wide range of health benefits, including cashless or discounted options. This improves healthcare accessibility and reduces group members’ financial burden.
TechGraph: How does Alyve Health ensure that its health plans meet the unique needs of corporate clients and startups?
Shashank Avadhani: Drawing from our extensive experience with various groups, we have developed standard plans such as Alyve Silver, Gold, and Platinum, catering to various user needs. This enables us to offer a comprehensive suite of customer-centric healthcare services, positioning us as the go-to platform for all healthcare requirements, from preventative measures to treatment.
At Alyve, we maintain an inclusive approach that ensures seamless and complete access to a vast range of benefits for all members, regardless of their group, insurer, broker, or agent. Our open architecture platform streamlines healthcare, opening access to multiple experts such as nutritionists, habit coaches, and doctors. This comprehensive approach ensures holistic care covering all health aspects. Furthermore, our platform incorporates gamification elements that reward healthy actions and foster positive habits. The platform’s challenges, rules, and rewards can be tailored to meet the unique needs and preferences of different groups, making it an enjoyable and interactive way for our members to prioritize their health.
TechGraph: What sets Alyve Health apart from other health insurance providers in their offerings to corporate clients and startups?
Shashank Avadhani: Alyve Health is more than just a health plan provider. We play a crucial role in helping groups maintain a happy and healthy workforce by addressing critical gaps in healthcare access and delivery. Alyve Health supports members and groups in prioritizing the well-being and improving health outcomes, ultimately contributing to a happier and more productive workforce with increased employee engagement and reduced absenteeism.
Firstly, we provide a comprehensive health platform beyond traditional insurance by offering a wide range of services such as care for hospitalization, health check-ups, outpatient care, fitness programs, and preventive care. This holistic approach promotes overall well-being and addresses various health needs.
Secondly, Alyve Health’s platform allows members to access all their health benefits in one convenient location. This streamlines the process and saves time for both employees and employers, enhancing the overall user experience.
Alyve Health emphasizes innovation and member-centric solutions. It leverages AI technology, telemedicine consultations, online pharmacy services, and a network of trusted healthcare providers to stay at the forefront of digital health solutions. The platform also incorporates gamification elements, personalized care guides, and outcome-based programs, encouraging members to actively engage in their health journey and achieve better health outcomes.
TechGraph: Can you discuss some of the benefits corporate clients and startups can expect when using Alyve Health for their health plan needs?
Shashank Avadhani: At Alyve Health, our programs cover seven essential impact areas designed to address individuals’ needs and aspirations and promote holistic well-being. These programs are centered around the pains and gains that matter to each individual, considering their unique circumstances and goals.
Motivations and Habits: Focus on cultivating positive habits and motivations that contribute to overall well-being.
Mind and Mood: Aim to enhance mental well-being and emotional resilience through self-care, mindfulness, relaxation techniques, and access to mental health resources.
Sleep and Rest: Guidance and resources to improve sleep quality, establish healthy sleep routines, and address common sleep-related issues.
Nutrition: Promote healthy eating habits, offer personalized dietary recommendations, and provide resources to make informed food choices.
Physical Activity: Encourage individuals to incorporate physical activity into their daily routines, offering personalized exercise plans, fitness challenges, and access to fitness resources.
Medical Care: Our programs facilitate seamless access to healthcare services and ensure timely medical care.
Financial Protection: We enable comprehensive coverage and guidance to help individuals navigate healthcare’s financial aspects, ensuring they have the necessary protection and support during medical emergencies or unforeseen health events.
TechGraph: In your opinion, what are the most critical factors corporate clients and startups should consider when choosing a health plan provider? How does Alyve Health meet those factors?
Shashank Avadhani: Corporate clients and startups should consider several critical factors when choosing a health plan provider. Here are the key factors and how Alyve Health meets them:
Customization and Flexibility: Companies have unique healthcare needs and budgets. Alyve Health offers customization and flexibility by working closely with clients to create personalized health plans that align with their specific requirements and financial constraints. Alyve Health’s platform allows for easy configuration and integration with multiple healthcare and insurance networks, providing many options.
Comprehensive Coverage: A health platform must offer comprehensive coverage that caters to employees’ diverse needs. Alyve Health understands this and collaborates with clients to design plans with a wide range of coverage options. By addressing multiple aspects of healthcare, Alyve Health ensures employees have access to the care they need to maintain their well-being.
Cost-effectiveness: Managing healthcare costs is a significant consideration for corporate clients and startups. Alyve Health platform allows for optimized cost-sharing mechanisms and offers insights to help clients make informed decisions that balance coverage and affordability.
Seamless Experience: Corporate clients and startups seek a health insurance provider that offers a seamless experience for their employees. Alyve Health’s platform provides a convenient location for members to access their health benefits. It also allows them to find healthcare providers, track their health goals, and engage in preventative care. This streamlined approach saves time and effort for employees, enhancing their overall healthcare experience.
Ongoing Support and Service: A reliable health insurance provider should offer exceptional ongoing support and service. Alyve Health supports corporate clients and startups, assisting with plan administration, claims management, employee onboarding, and ongoing engagement. Their team is available to promptly address any concerns or inquiries, ensuring a smooth and satisfactory experience for clients and their employees.
TechGraph: How does Alyve Health stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the industry, and how does that benefit their corporate clients and startups?
Shashank Avadhani: We are an end-to-end platform – accessing the entire payer-to-provider value chain – across multiple use cases. This enables us to work with very innovative provider networks ( e.g. wearables, IoT, devices, etc ) and bring to our members the cutting edge in healthcare technology.
Also, we are able to coordinate the disparate pieces of healthcare through our proprietary platform – this lends itself to the opportunity to leverage AI and machine learning to enable the best use of data, while all the time ensuring privacy.
TechGraph: Can you discuss some of the challenges Alyve Health faces in providing health plan services to corporate clients and startups, and how they overcome those challenges?
Shashank Avadhani: Budget, flexibility, and empowering members with the right needs are some of the important factors to account for. Alyve advises companies and groups to begin with small ticket plans and scale up as they expand. Additionally, groups have the option to partially sponsor benefits, allowing members to voluntarily contribute towards the remaining portion.
This can be seen in scenarios such as copay requirements for gym memberships or outpatient consultations. Recognizing that each member may have different needs, group administrators (such as HR teams) cannot make decisions for everyone. To address this, Alyve introduces a wallet mechanism for groups, empowering members to allocate a specific budget to spend on what is relevant to them.
TechGraph: What role do you believe technology plays in health insurance services delivery to corporate clients and startups? How is Alyve Health leveraging technology in this area?
Shashank Avadhani: The COVID-19 pandemic has profoundly impacted the healthcare industry, driving widespread acceptance and adoption of health insurance and healthcare services nationwide. As a result, digital health has become the norm, as individuals have grown accustomed to technology for remote doctor consultations and online medication ordering. Additionally, hybrid healthcare journeys, which blend digital and in-person elements, have gained popularity, allowing patients to benefit from digital healthcare while retaining access to in-person services as needed.
It is crucial to bring together digital and in-person healthcare, hence our platform is thoughtfully designed to deliver both financial value and convenience through a network of trusted healthcare providers. At Alyve, our mission is to establish a seamless and easily accessible healthcare system for our members.
We do this by bringing comprehensive healthcare services to their fingertips. Our platform facilitates coordinated care to ensure our members receive the finest healthcare experience. This includes virtual doctor consultations, online medication ordering, and diagnostic services. All prescriptions and reports are conveniently accessible on the platform for streamlined care management.
Moreover, we emphasize delivering personalized healthcare experiences to our members by guiding them toward their “next best action.” By combining coordinated care with tailored guidance, we aim to optimize healthcare outcomes and provide a seamless healthcare journey for our members. Whether connecting them with the right specialists, recommending preventive measures, or assisting with ongoing care, our platform supports and empowers individuals in their healthcare decisions. This leads to better overall health and well-being.
TechGraph: How does Alyve Health ensure that its health plan services are affordable and accessible to corporate clients and startups of all sizes?
Shashank Avadhani: Digitization has revolutionized insurance delivery, enabling innovative solutions to cater to specific group requirements. Technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics contribute to enhanced product design, pricing, and delivery through digital health platforms. The predictable risk profile of a group allows insurers to offer more flexible coverage options and broader benefits based on group members’ known demographic data.
This approach leverages economies of scale, aiding in cost management while providing a wide range of options for group members. Additionally, group policies offer advantages in terms of servicing and claims, as the group’s collective bargaining power ensures more affordable and fair insurance coverage. Insurers and healthcare providers recognize the potential business opportunities associated with exceptional customer service for groups, including increased retention, renewals, upgrades, and cross-selling or upselling additional services.
