
Make investments Pitch Excellent Highlight: How Duos makes use of know-how to assist older adults
The variety of People aged 65 and older is anticipated to extend to 82 million by 2050, a rise of 47% in comparison with 58 million in 2022. And entry to high quality assurance is commonly complicated and an necessary problem for this inhabitants.
That’s what duos, a technology-serving service supplier for Medicare Benefit plans, hopes to vary. It helps older adults and their carers by assembly well being -related social wants and connecting sufferers with care. The corporate in Minnesota in Minnesota was lately the winner of the Well being Tech Client/Employer Observe of MedCity Information' Make investments Pitch Perfert Contest. Investor judges evaluated six complete startups geared toward care navigation and coordination.
“We don't need individuals to dwell longer,” stated Karl Ulfers, CEO and co-founder of Duos, in a current interview. “We wish them to have extra life within the years they really expertise, and that’s the reason we’re actually specializing in growing know-how and automating protection for these older adults on their well being -related social wants. As a result of everybody should have the best to have transport to go to their physician's agreements or to go of their group. Everybody should have the best to dwell in a home secure.”
When the corporate contracts with a well being plan, it could possibly begin with members by way of SMS, E -mail and e -mail to tell them about this benefit and the choice to grow to be a member of DUOs. Members can then share their finest social determinants of well being and care wants, resembling meals or transport assist. The corporate can then join them with sources and suppliers primarily based on their protection, location and different wants.
Ulfers gave the instance of somebody who’s eligible for the Supplemental Diet Help Program (SNAP).
“Due to our expertise, an older grownup can’t solely be recognized that they’re eligible for Snap -T, however we’ll truly chat with them and reply questions that routinely write the Snap-EBT software,” he stated. “And as soon as we now have defined this system to them and we obtain their approval, we document their digital signature, after which in a single click on we will even have their software steered to the state or provincial officers, relying on the place they dwell, after which related to that Snap-et-Voordeel.”
DUOs may also acquire member knowledge and use usable insights again to the client of the Well being Plan.
One of many investor judges of The Pitch Perf Contest stated that he chosen Duos because the winner of the competitors as a result of “caregivers are one of many largest non -sung heroes in well being care.”
“Each know-how or service that may supply them to supply further transparency of advantages, leverage about their time and general peace of thoughts, is definitely a victory for all stakeholders in well being care when it’s successfully delivered,” stated Derek Mazur, director at Cedar Pine, who leads investments in well being look after the corporate. “Duos appears to unlock this capability.”
Duos has raised round $ 30 million. A few of his traders are precursor ventures and primetime companions.
One of many clients of the Well being Plan is Humana, who has introduced Duos a partnership with final 12 months to assist veteran seniors. The corporate has additionally been prolonged to medicines for recipe and medicaid.
The assist of DUOS is principally needed, as a result of based on Ulfers, authorities plans have vital adjustments because of federal cuts on the price range.
“In each sector of Medicare Benefit, prescribed medicines and Medicaid, all these plans will change within the coming years, and that can trigger an unbelievable quantity of confusion,” he stated. “We need to be that voice of simplicity and entry to the older adults of this nation to know what’s altering and the way they will be certain that they proceed to get an unbelievable high quality of care.”
Firms that provide related providers are Mpulse and CLEO. Nonetheless, the first competitor of DUOS is commonly the well being plans themselves, as a result of many will attempt to present these providers alone, Ulfers stated.
Picture: Nick Fanion, Breaking Media