Key Takeaways

Andy Schoonover, founder and CEO of CrowdHealth, shares his personal experience with the traditional health insurance system, which he found lacking when it denied coverage for his daughter's necessary medical procedure. This experience led him to establish CrowdHealth, a company aimed at helping uninsured or those wishing to be uninsured to pay for their health bills through a community-based approach.

CrowdHealth is not health insurance but rather a crowdfunding way to pay for health bills. It operates on the principle of community members supporting each other financially in times of medical need. Members contribute to each other's expenses, akin to sending money via Venmo for specific health events.

Schoonover highlights the issues with traditional health insurance, including high rates of claim denials and the perverse incentives for insurance companies to increase premiums and deny claims. He also discusses the conflicts of interest present when insurance companies own medical practices.

CrowdHealth's model allows for significant discounts on medical services by paying doctors directly, avoiding the bureaucracy and inefficiency associated with billing insurance companies. They also negotiate medical bills on behalf of their members to reduce costs significantly.

The service is available in all 50 states, DC, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands, and there are no doctor networks, giving members the freedom to choose their healthcare providers.

Best Quotes

• "I think it's fraudulent to say that they will pay your bills when nearly one out of five times they don't actually pay your bills."
• "We're trying to bring back that community component of that, where the money goes from member to member. You're helping each other directly, and it's just a beautiful thing to watch."
• "If you can rip the PBM out from in between, you're saving a significant amount of money."
• "We are all about holistic, integrative, naturopathic health. Alternative forms of health is something that we're absolutely fans of."
• "I want to go after the big guys because what they're doing is immoral from my perspective. So let's fight the battle."

Conclusion

CrowdHealth represents an innovative approach to managing healthcare expenses, offering an alternative to traditional health insurance by leveraging the power of community support. The company's model is rooted in direct payment to healthcare providers and significant cost savings through negotiation and bypassing complex insurance billing processes. While not insurance, CrowdHealth provides a way for individuals to fund their healthcare needs with the help of a like-minded community, potentially reshaping the future of healthcare funding. As the company grows, it may face challenges from the established insurance industry, but its foundation in community support and legal compliance positions it as a compelling option for those seeking a different path to manage their health expenses.