I started Crossover Health because I believed there was an alternative approach to how health should be. I wasn’t interested in creating a buzzy new app, bolting on new technology to an old problem, or announcing some novel partnership to nowhere. I wanted to fundamentally create a brand new health delivery system to better serve “members”. Today, more than ten years later, we have had some success pushing our view forward. But, as with the adoption of any new idea, it takes time for the idea virus to spread. And, I thought it would be interesting to share the experience of trying to share how we pitch these new ideas to clients, partners, investors, and the industry.
With this post, I am starting a new series where I will share some of the direct communications to our partners that have been appropriately modified for the general public’s consumption. I call this series “Letters to Home” as I am hoping these points really land “home” and help the movement take root. Some of these are concept explainers, some are back and forth banter, others are righteous screeds, and all of them meant to inspire the maverick in our clients to go big, be bold, and always fearless. While these have been helpful to bring along individuals, I am sharing them in this format with the hope to accelerate the masses to join us in creating health as it should be!
Dear [ Client ],
The best way to understand Crossover is to know that we are helping our employer partners rethink health as it should be. Most health benefits ecosystems just “happen”, and are often a haphazard and occasionally slipshod “gaggle” of uncoordinated, low-impact, and little-value solutions struggling for relevance. To be candid, even when we get added to this chaos, it is challenging for us to help improve the situation if we are considered just another “vendor”.
Instead, employer health activist leaders can take a very different approach. Starting from first principles, they “architect” and “design” a rational benefits ecosystem; instead of thinking about which point solution should be added, they systematically holistically architect a new care system from the ground up by taking these steps:
- Create a highly engaging new health service that delivers a elevated experience loved by everyone—convenient, intentional, architected, and subtle. It would be accessible, personalized, and consistent. And, it will become your legacy as a benefits leader.
- Implement an incredible care model that would be led by doctors, based on teams, technology-enabled, comprehensive, integrated, and accountable for outcomes. The range of services should cover the appropriate breadth of needs of the population and we always include the core offerings of primary care, physical medicine, mental health, coaching, and care navigation. These teams would collaborate seamlessly across in person, online, and anytime care demands; the designated care team would also serve a defined population so accountability is architected in.
- Expect care team to be oriented around completing the screening, prevention, and proactive care needed to establish a health baseline for each member. From this baseline, the care team would partner with each member to actively monitor the member’s health. They would nudge members forward with an annual health strategy, empowering them to set and achieve their own personalized goals.
- Given this new approach, the members’ mindset now shifts away from sick care to now be focused on “health” care. Members move past needing someone to take care of them when they aren’t well and instead look or people who can also help them stay well by being able to manage their own personal health journey.
- As members continue to shift their mindset and behavior, they want to meet others like them, to be included in “affinity groups”, and find a community of members seeking their best health. Members crave engagement from like-minded people and initiatives like Be Well help support and foster “community” as a new and powerful health resource that inspires other employees or dependents.
- As the health benefits leader, you should also expect that this new care delivery system would also be accountable to outcomes like cost, quality, experience, and engagement. The payment model for this would follow this outcomes conviction such that your medical partner is willing to take risk (“Commercial Advantage”). The partnership would build trust and deliver results, leading to your willingness and desire to invest more of your premium dollars because you know how hard they work, push, pull, and get creative in creating value. Give the full premium to the full stack provider.
- And finally, after making the decision to partner with Crossover to achieve all of the above, the benefits leader can step back and find themselves breathing in the rarified air of health activist employers who know something different than the market. They’ve grasped the unique advantage for their employees and dependents to be powered by great health. They’ve engaged in a partnership that allows corporate culture to thrive, retention issues to be addressed, productivity gains become clear, and a new esprit de corps emerges—one that may have been a completely unexpected–but now–critical differentiator for their company.
To achieve the above requires vision (seeing beyond today to the future of health as it should be), valor (willing to go through pain—conceptual, financial, procurement, and facility approvals, rollout, implementation, etc.—in order to experience great success), and most importantly, a little Veni Vidi Vici gumption to make it all come together.
Or as we say at Crossover—what once seemed impossible, becomes improbable, and ultimately inevitable!
Regards,
Scott Shreeve, MD
Chief Executive Officer, Founder
Crossover Health
Scott Shreeve, MD 