August - 2021

The HSB Blog

6 min

Lessons Learned: Big Tech Stumbles in Healthcare Again, Google Health Closing-The HSB Blog 8/30/21

Our Take: Put quite simply, the recent dismantling of Google’s Google Health unit brings into question whether tech companies such as Google, Amazon, Apple, etc. will meaningfully be able to penetrate the healthcare industry in the ways they have disrupted other industries such as retail and media. In part this is due to the failure to acknowledge and adapt to the fact that healthcare is dramatically different from technology in structure, degree of regulatory oversight, poli

4 min

Scouting Report-Covera Health: Catching Medical Errors With Analytics

The Driver: Earlier this month Covera Health raised $25 million in a Series C financing led by Insight Partners with participation from existing investors including Equity Group Investments. The company plans to use this funding to help expand its first product, Centers of Excellence Radiology, which is deployed by both employers and health insurance plans to guide patients toward the highest-quality radiology providers based on their requirements. As noted by MobiHealthnews,

6 min

Digital Healthcare Should Not Mean Losing the Human Connection-The HSB Blog 8/23/21

Our Take: To fully complete the transition to the digitalization of healthcare we must incorporate greater humanity, compassion, and empathy in the care we deliver. While there was a rapid shift from in-person care to telemedicine and digital health during the pandemic, it is essential not to lose sight of the importance and differences in the expression of compassion, humanity, and empathy between digital and in-person care. In a period where social isolation and fear of see

4 min

Scouting Report: Vera Whole Health-A Holistic Value-Based Care Model

The Driver: Recently, Vera Whole Health raised $50M from Morgan Health, the new healthcare-focused firm founded by JP Morgan Chase following the closure of the Haven joint venture. Founded in 2008, Vera Whole Health provides comprehensive coordinated healthcare services that are working to move employers towards value-based care and away from traditional fee-for-service models. Through employer-funded worksite clinics in 11 states, Vera provides care at a cost-efficient price

6 min

A Tale of Two Countries, Medicaid Non-Expansion States Increase Disparities-The HSB Blog 8/16/21

Our Take: Health disparities are even more dominant in the 18 states that did not expand Medicaid under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), leading to greater unnecessary drains on state budgets. For example, in West Virginia which did expand Medicaid, the uninsured rate among Blacks and Hispanics dropped by over 60%, while the decline was under 20% in states that did not expand Medicaid. Similarly, as noted in a study by the Commonwealth Fund, while Medicaid expansion increases t

4 min

Scouting Report-Juno Medical: Expanding and Demystifying Access to Care

The Driver: On July 30th, Juno Medical raised $5.4 million in seed funding led by Vast Ventures and joined by Atento Capital, Company Ventures, humbition, RareBreed Ventures, and Lafayette Square. The membership-only New York-based startup is bringing modern whole family healthcare (adult primary care, women’s health, and same-day care) to underserved populations by ensuring price transparency for its consumers. Juno Medical will use the funding to expand to Brooklyn, New Yor

8 min

How Informed Is Informed Consent? Putting Patients Back In Charge of Their Data-The HSB Blog 8/2/21

Our Take: The constant advancement in technology and mobile health (mHealth) apps help improve care and patient experience but they give rise to questions around ownership (both beneficial and nominal) of patient data, as well as informed consent for data usage and security of that data. The questions and ethical dilemmas around data are numerous: will the data be kept confidential?, will the developer and user of the app properly safeguard and protect personal health informa