The perfect spotlight for investment publicity: How the pear kit ensures community health workers are paid
Over the past decade, the healthcare industry has finally begun to recognize the important role of community health workers. For example, about half of the states now reimburse community health worker services through Medicaid, while Medicare added community health worker services to its physician fee program for the first time last year.
But without the right tools, community health workers often cannot get these new payments. This is because they never sign up with a health plan, accept referrals, file a claim or meet the complex compliance requirements of the larger healthcare system.
A Los Angeles-based startup called Pear Suite is performing a task to solve this problem. Two weeks ago, a panel of three VC judges crowned the company as the winner of payer/provider technology Medcity News“Invest in the perfect competition, preferring five other startups in the field.
“The Pear Suite turns community health workers into a scalable value-based care engine – hitting the holy grail of health care: better outcomes, lower costs, broader access,” said Rohit Nuwal, a partner at Telus Global Ventures.
The United States has about 4 million community health workers whose labor is a key part of addressing sanitary determinants such as food security, housing and transportation, noting that Pear Suite CEO Colby Takeda.
Takeda defines community health workers as frontline workers, trusted liaisons between the community and the healthcare system, helping people navigate care, access resources and meet social needs. He explained that workers tend to bring their life experience to the table, which makes patients more comfortable interacting with the health care system.
“They are frontline public health superheroes in addressing health and social challenges. Sometimes they are called Duras, nursing coordinator, navigator or health advocate. They have many different names,” Tuckerda said.
Pear Suite provides a software platform that helps community organizations track and manage the needs and services of their members, similar to EHR. The platform allows community organizations to collect and share data with health plans and hospitals and submit reimbursement claims. It also includes tools to simplify compliance, documentation and care plan reviews.
Takeda noted that since the platform was launched in 2023, Pear Suite has established a nationwide network of providers built by more than 1,000 community health workers in 30 states, mainly from existing community organizations.
“About 80% of our customers are also part of our provider group. So we have a network of providers with many community-based organizations that will work with us on behalf of or in partnership with health programs and health systems. PearSuite is a provider in a network, which means we can bill services like any other telehealth provider or provider group,” he said. ”
Takeda said the pear suite could be considered “Uber for community health workers” — instead of hiring community health workers directly, the startup empowers existing groups to operate at scale.
He noted that this model helped Pear Suite stand out among other startups focused on community health work.
“Because we have the support surrounding through our provider network, we have not only the technology, but also the support. [community health workers] With care navigation, compliance, and claims and contracting things – everything they need. ” Takeda explained.
Overall, he announced that the company’s mission is focused on elevating the role of community health workers, expanding community-based entrenched care and fostering collaboration across the healthcare sector.
The startup is currently raising $4.2 million in seed funding, after raising a Series A.
Photo: Nick Fanion, breaking the media
