This series aims to demystify Medicaid, starting with insights from federal and state agencies, FQHCs, and managed care organizations, before exploring successful founders' strategies. Readour primers on the key players and innovations here, and stay tuned for upcoming posts featuring interviews with key opinion leaders, purchasers, and startup founders.Cityblock Health is a value-based healthcare provider focused on the complex clinical, behavioral health, and social needs of dually eligible and Medicaid recipients. Cityblock offers the only fully integrated and multi-modal solution that directly delivers clinical care to one of the most at-risk and hardest-to-reach populations. Powered by advanced technology that provides its care team with a data-driven understanding of member needs and risks, Cityblock has demonstrated industry-leading engagement, member retention, meaningful reductions in avoidable hospital readmissions, and reduced total cost of care.Founded in 2017, spun off by Sidewalk Labs, and based in New York, Cityblock has raised nearly $900M to date from investors such as SoftBank, Tiger Global, Maverick Ventures, General Catalyst, Thrive Capital and 8VC, among others. It is now valued at $5.7B. Cityblock currently serves more than 100,000 members, and partners with four national Medicaid health plans and several health systems in 15 cities across seven states.Mike's career has spanned both legal and healthcare leadership roles, starting as a commercial litigator before joining UnitedHealth Group as National Vice President of Medicaid Policy and Product. He went on to serve as CEO of UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Ohio, then as Chief Transformation Officer and President of Government Programs for Optum BH Solutions, and later as Chief Growth Officer and SVP of Growth and Product at UnitedHealth Community and State. In 2024, he joined Cityblock as President to help drive the company's next phase of growth.Mike holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Notre Dame, a JD from Notre Dame Law School, and attended an Executive Education Program at Stanford Graduate School of Business.In this episode, we learn about how health plans evaluate startups, the complexities of improving access for Medicaid and dual-eligible populations, and Cityblock's innovative approach to building trust and engagement.

This episode is part of Pear VC's series on Medicaid, covering the basics that founders need to know to build innovations that support communities in need. This week, we're excited to get to know Cesar Herrera. Cesar is the co-founder and CEO of Yuvo Health, a value-based care enablement organization for FQHCs. Yuvo Health is an industry-leading healthcare organization that partners with community health centers to help them gain an advantage in value-based care, a healthcare model that prioritizes patient-provided quality and outcomes of care over the quantity of services delivered.  Founded in New York City in January 2021 by a fully BIPOC team that has experienced the power of quality care firsthand, the entire company shares a common goal of bringing fair, quality care to underserved communities. Yuvo Health empowers health centers to succeed in value-based care arrangements by qualifying for meaningful value-based care contracts and achieving success in those arrangements with a dedicated Population Health partner — and with Yuvo Health taking on the risk in doing so.  Yuvo has raised $28M to date from  AlleyCorp, Mosaic General Partners, New York Ventures, HLM Venture Partners, Route 66 Ventures, VamosVentures, AV8 Ventures, Watershed, GreyMatter, Social Innovation Fund, and others Cesar's journey in healthcare spans over two decades, beginning with strategy and policy consulting at Kurt Salmon Associates, Booz Allen Hamilton, and Booz & Company. He also worked at Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey, where he spearheaded marketing and competitive strategy initiatives. He then transitioned to Head of Existing Business at Zocdoc, and then Healthify, where he served as Chief Solutions Officer, shaping his vision for Yuvo Health. Cesar holds an MBA from NYU Stern School of Business, along with an MPH in Health Policy and Management from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

This episode is part of Pear VC's series on Medicaid, covering the basics that founders need to know to build innovations that support communities in need. Today, we're excited to get to know Afia Asamoah and Dr. Sanjay Basu. Afia is the Head of Legal and People and Sanjay is the Head of Clinical of Waymark, a value-based primary care enabler for Medicaid.   Founded in 2021, Waymark has raised $87M in funding to date from investors such as Lux Capital, CVS Health Ventures, Andreesen Horowitz and NEA. The company is pioneering in the healthcare space by offering tech-enabled, community-based services to Medicaid beneficiaries, ensuring they receive top-notch care and support. In this episode, we learn about Waymark’s differentiated, research-backed, care model for Medicaid and a thoughtful approach to cost-effectiveness that is consistent with the interests of low-income patients.

Dr. Muthu Alagappan, CEO and Founder of Counsel, previously served as CMO at Notable Health and is a Stanford Medicine alumnus. He discusses the transformative potential of asynchronous care in healthcare, focusing on how AI can streamline processes and improve patient access. Muthu shares insights on balancing family responsibilities with entrepreneurship and the need for innovative, patient-centric solutions. He reflects on how his Stanford experiences shaped his entrepreneurial journey, emphasizing the importance of disruptive thinking in healthcare.

Today, we're thrilled to introduce Neil Sanghavi. Neil began his journey with Atropos Health in 2020, initially focusing on product and launch strategy part-time, before taking on the role of President in 2021. Before joining Atropos, Neil lent his expertise as an advisor to prominent health tech startups such as Turquoise Health, Abridge, Tuva, and Ribbon Health, where he contributed to go-to-market strategies, data strategy, analytics team development, and network contracting models. In addition to his advisory roles, Neil was the Provider Strategy & Analytics leader at Haven, the joint venture formed by Amazon, JPMorgan, and Berkshire Hathaway. His career also includes strategic positions at the Cleveland Clinic and The Advisory Board Company (now part of Optum), as well as leadership roles in product and commercialization at healthcare startups like Centivo. In this episode, Neil and I explore his journey into health tech, the role of data in healthcare, and Atropos Health's growth. We discuss their go-to-market strategy, the development of ChatRWD, and the importance of data quality. Neil also shares his vision for the future of Atropos and offers advice for founders.

This week, we’re super excited to chat with Wei Deng is the CEO and Founder of Clipboard Health. Wei came to speak to our early-stage pre-seed bootcamp, PearX and we repurposed the talk into a PHP episode because there were so many amazing nuggets. We were lucky enough to hear her insights on building a unicorn as a first-time founder. Wei Deng is also a Pear Healthcare Advisor and deeply committed to supporting the next generation of founders.  Wei got her career start as a lawyer and after a stint in investment banking, worked in a variety of startup roles from Head of Product to COO. Before Clipboard, Wei was one of the first 10 employees at Sendwave. Founded in 2016, Clipboard Health matches healthcare facilities with nurses nearby. Clipboard Health has raised $94M in funding and is now a credible unicorn backed by investors like Sequoia and IVP.  In this episode, we talk about persisting through the idea maze, creating accountability systems within your team, and how to set up frameworks for yourself for success. 

Kevin Riddleberger, Co-Founder of DispatchHealth, brings over 20 years of healthcare expertise to the table. He discusses transforming home healthcare through technology and value-based care, alongside the unique challenges faced by seniors accessing urgent care. Riddleberger delves into strategies for engaging managed Medicaid populations and improving care coordination. He also shares insights on scaling home healthcare, emphasizing partnerships and innovative funding strategies, all while maintaining a balance between personal life and a fulfilling healthcare career.

This episode is part of Pear VC's series on Medicaid, covering the basics that founders need to know to build innovations that support communities in need. Today, we're delighted to introduce Taylor Justice, the driving force behind Unite Us, a company that uses advanced technology solutions to coordinate community-focused social care and integrate social drivers of health into the healthcare continuum and regulatory landscape.   Unite Us developed the first closed-loop referral (CLR) platform that links social care service delivery with detailed outcomes to understand a person’s total health journey. The platform streamlines collaboration among healthcare professionals, community organizations, health plans, and government agencies to provide real-time visibility into the community impact and actionable insights. Through active engagement and accountability, this model increases the efficiency of social care and improves the experience by removing the onus from the patient to navigate eligibility requirements for local services.   Founded in 2013, Unite Us has grown to more than 600 employees serving communities across the US. The company's investors include ICONIQ, Oak HC/FT, and more who are helping advance the company's mission to connect people to the care they need to improve their lives. Taylor started his career in the US Army. After serving in the infantry, he transitioned into an Account Executive role at CCS Medical. From there he became a sales engineer for JDSU which offers products and solutions for communications. After that, Taylor started his entrepreneurial journey co-founding the consulting firm, HigherEchelon, which helped organizations meet their performance goals. In 2013, he co-founded Unite Us and serves as President to this day. Taylor holds a BS in Latin American Studies and Environmental Engineering from West Point Academy and an MBA from Columbia Business School. In this episode, we explore Taylor’s founding journey and how Unite Us's closed-loop referral process is improving care outcomes. We also discuss what it's like to be at the forefront of using social determinants of health data in Medicaid.

Tracy Douglas, CEO of VCHA, discusses FQHCs' role in providing healthcare to underserved communities. Topics include leveraging technology for better operations, successful partnerships with private companies, Medicaid program dynamics, and personal interests in promoting Medicaid equity.

Eliot Fishman, Director at CMMI, discusses Medicaid payment models, program integrity, and collaboration between Federal and State governments. He shares insights on value-based care, revenue growth strategies, and innovations in maternal health and substance use treatment. The episode concludes with tips for founders to engage with CMMI and a light-hearted discussion on exploring green spaces in Washington DC with a furry friend.