Healthcare costs are growing at a rapid pace with few signs of it slowing down anytime soon. Individuals are affected by this, but they aren’t the only ones who have to spend more. Companies providing health insurance to their workforce also have to deal with rising premiums.
A variety of solutions have been proposed, but one offered by a Chicago-based startup called HealthJoy is truly innovative. It combines chatbot technology and advanced artificial intelligence to help employees better understand their health coverage and directs them to the most affordable services whenever possible. The end result is that both the employee and their employer save money.
According to Justin Holland, HealthJoy’s co-founder and CEO, one of the reasons why healthcare costs are so high for employers is because their staff are rarely aware of the true costs associated with every medical service they use. This leads to many using services they may not actually need or that could have been obtained at a much lower cost to the employer.
HealthJoy provides a mobile app employees can use to connect to a cloud-based service for anything health-related. They can use its chat feature to ask questions about health conditions, find the most suitable medical professional or learn more about what their coverage includes. But it’s more than just an AI-powered chatbot. When needed, they can use it to obtain a free telemedicine consultation with a physician. This feature is without a doubt the most beneficial to individuals and their employers.
While telemedicine has been around for several years, a lot of patients who just need to speak to a doctor end up seeing one in person instead, even when a physical examination isn’t needed. For example, if someone feels unwell late at night when all local clinics are already closed, they will often go to a hospital’s urgent care department, resulting in costs of several hundred dollars for the employer. HealthJoy’s use of telemedicine can significantly reduce non-emergency hospital visits and their resulting expenses. The employee can explain their symptoms and concerns to a doctor right from their smartphone. The doctor can answer their questions and remotely send a prescription to a pharmacy. They will provide guidance on whether the employee should immediately go to a hospital or to only seek medical attention if they experience specific symptoms.