Dive Brief:
- Oscar and Cleveland Clinic will offer co-branded health plans to people living in northeast Ohio starting Nov. 1, the health insurance startup announced Thursday.
- Pending regulatory approval, Cleveland Clinic|Oscar health plans will be available both on and off the Ohio Affordable Care Act (ACA) exchanges for consumers in Cuyahoga, Summit, Lorain, Medina and Lake counties.
- Enrollees will be matched with a Cleveland Clinic care team and an Oscar concierge team, have free round-the-clock access to Doctor on Call and the health system’s Express Care Online. They will have access to Cleveland Clinic’s network of 3,500 physicians and 14,000 nurses across 140 specialties and subspecialties, Oscar CEO and co-founder Mario Schlosser said in a blog.
Dive Insight:
The collaboration is part of Oscar’s effort to expand its focus from ACA exchange markets to individual health insurance. In February, the company began selling plans in the small group insurance market. The New York City-based tech firm has also partnered with Mount Sinai Health System on a full-service primary care center in Brooklyn, N.Y. Oscar members can use the company’s digital tools schedule appointments, input personal information and access lab results.
And the company is venturing into the doctor’s office. On Monday, Oscar rolled out a virtual clinical dashboard aimed at enhancing profiles and using data to nudge out useful clinical insights.
But while the company is broadening its horizons, it’s not abandoning its ACA roots. On Wednesday, HealthPass New York announced it will offer Oscar health plans to small business employers in the wider New York City area. Under the agreement, HealthPass will offer eight Oscar plans — four “simple” and four “market” plans — spanning all metal tiers. Enrollment is underway now for coverage beginning as early as Sept. 1. Plan holders will be able to use Oscar’s concierge team, have 24/7 doctor access and physician and hospital network access.
This comes amid news of many insurers pulling out of the exchanges, namely because they can get no assurance of receiving cost-sharing reduction payments.
Oscar is working to bring patients convenience, and that is a strong selling point in healthcare these days. According to a 2016 report by PricewaterhouseCooper’s Health Research Institute, 88% of consumers say they are likely to seek treatment at a retail clinic, and the expanding palette of options is increasing utilization.