Photo courtesy of Kenshō Health
Morgan Health, JP Morgan Chase’s new healthcare business, is investing $50 million in Vera Whole Health, a company that aims to provide coordinated primary care.
“Our goal with this first investment is to build a strong coordinated healthcare model – with outstanding primary care and new ways to help employees navigate a healthcare system that is often very disconnected,” said Dan Mendelson, CEO of Morgan Health, in a statement. Mandelson will join Vera’s board of directors after the transaction closes.
“Vera is proactively helping patients achieve ideal physical, mental and social health. And because they actively coordinate with other high-value health providers, they’re able to create a much better overall patient experience.”
Morgan, which launched in May, is focused on lowering costs and improving quality of employer-sponsored healthcare. Though it will start with JP Morgan Chase employees, the company wants to serve as a model for other employers looking to improve quality of health plans, lower costs and eliminate health disparities.
This isn’t JP Morgan Chase’s first foray into healthcare either. It partnered with Amazon and Berkshire Hathaway to launch Haven, a high-profile venture that aimed to lower costs and improve outcomes in the fragmented U.S. system. But the company disbanded in February after nearly three years.
Vera’s coordinated care system could address health equity issues, an area where Morgan wants to innovate. Vera is also moving away from fee-for-service payment and into value-based care, which could help address costs.
“Morgan Health and Vera represent next-generation healthcare models aimed at employers and employees,” Ravi Sachdev, CD&R partner and Vera board director, said in a statement. “We believe these types of new and innovative value-based care platforms will enhance delivery quality and outcomes and strengthen physician alignment.”
Kenshō Health, a platform that helps patients find holistic health providers for care like acupuncture, naturopathy, nutrition and meditation, raised another $3.5 million in seed funding.
That brings Kenshō’s total funding to nearly $5.5 million. Investors include KB Partners, Company Ventures, Gaingels, Livongo cofounder Alex Bitoun, Crosscut, Female Founders Fund, Alumni Ventures Group and Evolve Foundation.
Kenshō plans to use this latest round of funding to hire team members, draw in new users and drive its new product, Care Matching, which offers personalized provider recommendations to users based on their symptoms, preferences and care needs.
"It's safe to say that holistic medicine is moving mainstream but much like conventional healthcare, the navigation experience leaves much to be desired,” Krista Berlincourt, Kenshō’s CEO and cofounder, said in a statement. “That's why we created Kenshō."