Most people in the U.S. would admit we have a critical problem in our healthcare system. Lack of access and rising costs keep people sicker and make it harder for families to afford even basic care. As a result, many avoid care because their out-of-pocket costs are too high or they cannot get to Urgent Care or the hospital. Tectonic Health wants to change that.
Tectonic Health is a healthcare service that combines an affordable healthcare solution for self-insured businesses with better health options for employees, saving both patients and their employers time and money.
How it Works
With the current heathcare system, self-insured employers pay for each out-of-pocket claim when it is incurred versus a fixed premium to an insurance carrier. Unfortunately, this method makes covering healthcare costs riskier if employees frequently go to the emergency room. Consequently, these employers tend to pay more than fully insured companies, forcing them to use a primary provider system to mitigate costs and risks. However, this type of care is, at its best, inefficient and, at its worst, detrimental to people’s overall health.
Many employers struggle to provide affordable and unique healthcare options for their employees, which can lead to difficulty in recruiting and retaining talent. In addition, the plans they do offer often place a financial burden on their employees.
Tectonic Health offers a more convenient and cost-effective solution to this problem. Companies pay a low flat rate per employee per month (including all dependents in the household) instead of paying high premiums to insurers. This system eliminates the overhead of administering copays and deductibles and allows patients to get the care they need without fearing a high medical bill.
Doctors On Call
Among Tectonic Health’s unique services is on-demand house calls, bringing dedicated clinicians and necessary services directly to patients’ homes. While many insurers are now forcing patients to use telehealth and urgent care as the first line of care, Tectonic Health is going old school and bringing healthcare access back to the home. In an age of centralized medicine, this is a game changer.
Patients no longer have to worry about traveling to a medical office when they feel ill or require emergency care. For the growing senior population, single parents, and many others who have mobility or transportation issues, home access democratizes the system and brings back a more human approach to health. Tectonic Health’s providers are available seven days a week and are employed directly by the company.
In addition to general and urgent care, Tectonic Health’s in-home services include physical therapy, imaging, and basic labs. Patients can also receive more than 500 medications via mail directly to their homes—saving a trip to the pharmacy. These medications cover the most common chronic and acute conditions.
Why Now?
Tectonic Health was founded by Michael Cole, who attended Kent State University and has worked as a physician’s assistant in urgent and primary care settings for more than 15 years. “Healthcare has three big problems,” he says. “It’s fragmented, it’s not affordable, and it’s not convenient.” Cole came up with the idea of revolutionizing health insurance and found support through the software accelerator program at Bounce Innovation Hub.
Initially, Tectonic Health focused on direct-to-consumer services. Patients would use a phone app, similar to TeleDoc, to receive a diagnosis and request in-home care if needed. However, Cole soon discovered that most consumers have health insurance through their employer and often don’t self-pay for healthcare expenses, even if the costs offered through Tectonic Health might be lower. As a result, the company pivoted to targeting self-insured businesses as customers.
Passion to Help
For Cole and the team at Tectonic Health, the most rewarding part of their work is seeing how their services have changed patients’ lives. “We want to create a better experience of receiving healthcare and for individuals to remain proactive, not reactive,” he says.
Employers interested in learning more about Tectonic Health’s offerings can contact the company at info@tectonic.health or visit www.tectonic.health.
