As a bunch of tech startups get massive funding to reshape the future of healthcare, the American Medical Association is not sitting idly by. Instead, it’s investing in and building up companies that align with its agenda. The latest is Zing Health, a new insurer focused on Medicare recipients.
In 2015, the AMA launched Health2047, a for-profit incubator that builds health tech companies. In the years since, it’s launched three such startups: a data platform called Akiri, a company focused on managing and reversing pre-diabetes called First Mile Care, and now Zing Health. Zing’s plan will give seniors access to a network of clinics in Cook County, Illinois, starting in January. The company hopes to expand to three states by 2022. It’s a managed care plan, which means the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) will pay a single monthly fee per member in exchange for a more holistic approach to nurturing patient health. Zing is working with a network of community health centers, including Oak Street Health, which recently raised $65 million for its senior-focused facilities.
