Pair Team – a virtual and community-based primary care solution connecting Medicaid’s highest-risk patients to high-quality care – recently announced it has raised $9 million in Series A funding. The funding round was led by NEXT VENTURES, with participation from PTX Capital, Kapor Capital, Kleiner Perkins, Y Combinator, and several healthcare angel investors including Jay Desai. This funding round will help Pair Team accelerate its expansion across California by enabling the company to grow its network of safety net organizations and scale its current team to support additional patients.
Since early 2022, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and other federal agencies have had their eyes on California with the launch of the nation’s largest-ever program to transform the healthcare system for vulnerable communities. With nearly $10 billion in total funding, California Advancing and Innovating Medi-Cal (CalAIM) is integrating social support services like housing, food access, and transportation through local health plans for low-income residents. The goal is to elevate the role of community-based organizations (CBOs) such as shelters, food pantries, and rehab facilities in the care delivery system. This is the future of Medicaid laid out by CMS, and other states like New York are following suit. However, local clinics and CBOs lack the resources to coordinate and establish a new model of care effectively.
Pair Team is solving these issues by partnering with local health centers and community-based organizations – giving them access to a shared, value-based care management platform utilized by Pair Team’s network of safety net organizations and providing staffing support to fill gaps in care access and coordination. And by enabling existing organizations to provide virtual and in-person care through its shared platform, Pair Team links Medicaid’s highest-risk patients with the information and services they need, such as housing coordination, grocery delivery, medication management, virtual therapy, and other primary care services.
Pair Team’s comprehensive and value-based care solution provides a personalized, high-touch care experience while addressing obstacles like lack of transportation, housing, food security, and mobile phone access. And the company’s unique care delivery platform leverages artificial intelligence (AI) to implement clinical best practices, integrate care with community-based organizations, and automate workflows so clinicians can focus their time on patients.
By utilizing social issues first to better care for Medicaid patients in California, the company has engaged upwards of 49% of eligible, high-needs patients and demonstrated a 34% reduction in emergency department utilization. And through its mental health and chronic care management support, 58% of patients diagnosed with depression report reduced depression symptoms, and 62% of patients diagnosed with diabetes experienced reduced A1c scores.
Pair Team is passionate around building a team of individuals who support its mission of improving the well-being of underserved communities. Along with care providers and other licensed practitioner positions, Pair Team is hiring for a broad number of roles including executive operations and director roles, as well as local community-based care team members.
KEY QUOTES:
“Pair Team’s hands-on approach is changing lives for thousands of Californians who are not able to access the care needed to better their health. Our virtual and community-based solution builds personal and meaningful relationships with our patients to help them regain trust in and access to the health care system. This latest financing will help us bring whole-person care to more patients across California and soon nationally. This is Medicaid’s regulatory moment, and we are here to help catalyze much-needed change for the wellbeing of our most vulnerable communities.”
— Neil Batlivala, CEO and co-founder of Pair Team
“Pair Team’s commitment to enabling existing safety-net organizations to improve healthcare for individuals complements our thematic focus on Whole Person Health. We continue to be impressed by their ability to execute according to plan, effectively driving strong engagement and meaningful clinical outcomes. As the healthcare landscape rapidly shifts toward value-based care, all stakeholders need to work together to prioritize inclusive, effective, and patient-centric outcomes, and Pair Team is developing a blueprint for success. We are honored to be partnered with Neil, Cassie, and the greater Pair Team on this company’s remarkable and promising journey.”
— Julian Eison, Managing Partner at NEXT VENTURES
