Pluto Health, an AI-enabled care delivery platform, announced last week that it has expanded access to its services by now working with Medicare and Medicaid. It has also launched partnerships with major commercial plans like UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Ambetter and Cigna.
Durham, North Carolina-based Pluto Health is a spin-out from Duke University. It takes patient information from multiple sources — including health histories, labs and diagnostics — and puts it all in one place. Based on this information, Pluto Health creates personalized care plans and connects patients with resources. Patients can get support for at-home lab testing, preventive care, immunizations and more.
“With the help of AI and clinicians, the platform identifies what someone may need – from preventative screenings and at-home tests to even optional opportunities to join research studies. It then connects them directly to care or research options in real time,” said Joy Bhosai, MD, MPH, founder and CEO of Pluto Health.
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By expanding its partnerships with payers, more patients will be able to access Pluto’s services at “little to no cost,” she added. This health coverage expansion is significant as many patients struggle with out-of-pocket costs and unforeseen medical bills, Bhosai said. About half of adults say that it’s difficult to afford care, and more than a third of people put off receiving care because of these costs.
“Additionally, even if they know they need to get something done, it’s often delayed due to the time and travel needed to address it, such as getting screened for cancer, diabetes, and other needed lab work. … As a result, they often delay seeking care, which can make existing health conditions worse or even lead to more severe health outcomes associated with comorbidities,” she said.
“By integrating with these payors, we make Pluto’s services more accessible and improve health outcomes for the patients we serve,” Bhosai continued.
Through its growing network of payer partnerships, the company ultimately hopes to reach more patients, particularly those with chronic conditions or little access to care, according to Bhosai. In addition, the company is looking to improve its AI models and workflows to provide more personalized care plans for patients.
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“Above all, our mission is to ensure that barriers, lack of awareness, or fragmented data never prevent someone from getting the care they need, while helping the health system improve quality and lower costs,” Bhosai said.
Several other companies are also focused on preventive care, including Function Health and Oura.
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