Responding to COVID-19 and Beyond:
Demo Day for Medicaid Innovation
In partnership with Acumen America and the Center for Health Care Strategies
A virtual demo day series for innovations serving Medicaid patient populations during COVID-19 and beyond
Connecting startups addressing critical access and outcomes challenges to Medicaid stakeholders
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The COVID-19 health crisis has had a disproportionate impact on vulnerable patient populations, as evidenced by higher infection and morbidity rates among low-income Black, Hispanic, and other minority communities relative to their counterparts. The disparity of COVID-19’s impact underlines the existing challenges experienced by Medicaid patient populations in unequal access to healthcare and SDOH services.
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This series of demo days curated and presented ventures that addressed the acute challenges created by COVID-19 and provided a blueprint for improving access, efficacy, and equity in Medicaid. Companies that were accepted had the opportunity to pitch their solutions to Medicaid buyers including State Medicaid offices, plan leadership, and key Medicaid experts.
Focus areas
Focusing on maternal health and behavioral health needs
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Focusing on food insecurity and economic vulnerability
Expert Panels
Project Goals
1.
Support Medicaid buyers in becoming internal champions of health equity-based innovation by understanding the drivers, needs, and gaps in health disparities
2.
Enable state Medicaid offices and MCOs to understand relevant vendors with effective and targeted solutions against identified need and in turn understand how to implement these early-stage products and services
3.
Provide knowledge to Medicaid buyers and vendors into the recent and rapid evolution in policy and payment that will enable stronger adoption of innovation
4.
Facilitate stronger contract relationships between Medicaid buyers and vendors increasing the viability of Medicaid focused capital
5.
Address health disparities across Medicaid and create robust capacity in the system against future public health pressures (including pandemics and epidemics)
Identify
Determined the areas of focus that were the most pressing for State Medicaid and Plan leadership in light of COVID-19
Source
Opened an online application for companies to apply for a chance to share their solution
Vet & Select
Project partners vetted and selected the top applicants
Process
showcase
Three virtual demo day events in June explained the need from a panel of experts and then featured presentations from the selected solutions.
Continue
Companies, MCOs, and States manage the relationship moving forward. See the impact from a previous Challenge
Project Partners
This project is powered by Acumen America and in partnership with the Center for Health Care Strategies
Acumen is changing the way the world tackles poverty by investing in companies, leaders and ideas. We invest patient capital in businesses whose products and services are enabling low-income communities to transform their lives in 14 countries around the world. Acumen America, the firm’s U.S. portfolio, invests in early-stage companies across three sectors addressing some of the biggest challenges that face low-income Americans: health, workforce development and financial inclusion.
The Center for Health Care Strategies (CHCS) is a nonprofit policy center dedicated to advancing innovations in health care delivery for low-income Americans. CHCS works with state and federal agencies, health plans, providers, and community-based organizations to design programs that better serve high-need and high-cost populations.