$0 copays and deductibles? Curative is helping companies make their healthcare plans accessible

Employees shouldn't have to sacrifice their finances for healthcare, and one company has made it their mission to ensure that they can have both. 

Since it launched in January 2020, healthcare services company Curative aimed to improve healthcare outcomes. Given the timing of the company's funding, many of those efforts focused on COVID-era responses such as testing. Since the end of the pandemic, their focus has shifted and their offerings have expanded to meet the current and pressing healthcare demands coming from Americans — accessibility. 

"We wanted to take on the systemic challenges of healthcare that became so apparent in dealing with thousands of payers during the pandemic," says Fred Turner, CEO and founder of Curative. "We explored various options that would help us make the most impact and ultimately landed on challenging the status quo commercial health insurance market with a powerful alternative."

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According to a recent survey conducted by Curative and the Health Analytics and Insights Group, nearly 60% of respondents reported delaying or avoiding medical care due to concerns about out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, 42% said they did not take their prescription medications due to cost and 44% of employees had difficulty understanding their health insurance benefits which led to unexpected costs. 

In response, Curative is offering employers a $0 copay, $0 deductible option. To qualify for this, employees are required to complete a baseline visit or an orientation in the first 120 days of enrolling in the health insurance plan.  

Curative's offering includes behavioral health services, telehealth services, primary and specialty care as well as prescription drugs coverage. And while it may seem too good to be true, the strategy behind it is perfectly sound, according to Turner. 

"The National Bureau of Economic Research found that while large employers on high-deductible health plans drive a 12% annual spending decrease in the first year, it's mainly from preventive care, not the wasteful care it was intended to deter," he says. "In other words, people put off important preventive care, leading to short-term decreased spending but much greater long-term spending."

By removing the monetary barriers to care — specifically preventative appointments — the goal is to keep employees healthier longer. That prevents negative outcomes, medical debt and poorer work, which is what's driving employers' health care costs up. 

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"We're already seeing positive indicators from our model, like lower hospital admission rates and better medication adherence," Turner says. "This reinforces our belief that when people have access to affordable care, they can manage their health proactively and avoid more complicated and costly issues later on."

Curative has already been successfully operating in Texas, where the company is headquartered, and Florida. They recently announced their expansion into Georgia earlier this month, where they hope to provide businesses in the state with innovative health insurance options for their employees. 

"[Accessible health insurance] is a benefit that builds loyalty and attracts and retains talent," Turner says. "When employees can actually take care of their health and not go into debt doing so, they are more focused, motivated and productive at work, resulting in an even greater contribution to overall business success."