Oscar, The Startup That's Trying To Shake Up Healthcare, Just Raised $80 Million

[xchrom]

http://www.businessinsider.com/oscar-80-million-raise-billion-valuation-2014-5


Oscar CEO Josh Kushner

Oscar, the company dead-set on shaking up the broken healthcare industry, just announced an $80 million fundraise, bringing its valuation to nearly $1 billion.

Oscar officially launched in New York City in January of this year, after founders Kevin Nazemi, Joshua Kushner, and Mario Schlosser decided that they wanted to use technology to create a better, more consumer-friendly health insurance company.

The site is well-designed and easy to navigate, and tries to one-up traditional health insurance companies like Aetna and UnitedHealth by making bill paying a breeze and allowing members to consult with doctors over the phone at no additional charge.

Forbes reports that the company currently has more than 16,000 customers who pay an average of $4,500 in annual fees — placing Oscar’s revenue at around $72 million, with a valuation of $800 million.



Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/oscar-80-million-raise-billion-valuation-2014-5#ixzz31mp1vdR2

[djean111]

1. We need single payer. Not more insurance companies.

[xchrom]

2. +1

[rurallib]

3. amen to that!

[CTyankee]

4. I totally agree.

We don't need to have people making a profit off of health insurance. It should rightfully be the people's business in which we all share the benefits and the costs (through progressive taxes). Just like every other industrialized nation in the world...

[m-lekktor]

9. yes absolutely

this is just rearranging deck chairs on the titanic. I just feel there is no good in any program that is run by a group whose profits depend on finding ways to deny healthcare.

[sendero]

5. Gee...

.... I think it's going to take more than a web site to "shake up" health care. What a joke.

[TampaAnimusVortex]

6. It doesnt get much better than this for reducing costs and overhead...

http://kfor.com/2013/07/08/okc-hospital-posting-surgery-prices-online/

This place actually lists their prices on their web site so you can see them in advance. If all hospitals and health care providers did this, it would be a lot easier for people to watch what they are spending.

[djean111]

8. Sadly "watching what they are spending" generally means "deciding if they can live without meds/

treatment", these days.

[TampaAnimusVortex]

10. If all healthcare cost got cut in half - tell me again how thats bad?

So you want to toss out good for the sake of perfect?

How about all those people struggling to make ends meet that would love to have their costs reduced? You want to tell them they cant go to this place and pay a cheaper price for surgery?

[djean111]

11. My son has PTSD and panic attacks andcannot hold a job.

Here in Florida, he does not qualify for Medicaid because his son is 19 and because he makes no money. I am supporting him on my social security. So even a trip to the emergency room is ruinous, and we finally found a psychiatrist who agreed to charge him oly $80 a visit, every three months, so he could get prescriptions written.
He got turned down for disability BECAUSE HE GOES TO A DOCTOR.
Before I found out about Costco, we were buying stuff like Clonopin and venlafaxine xr almost by the pill.
So no need to lecture, I am not making ends meet and I believe the answer is single payer.

Don't let the perfect be the enemy of the good has not been working out too well for a lot of struggling Americans.

[TampaAnimusVortex]

12. Well... be that as it may, until that happens - this is still an improvement.

A step in the right direction is still a massive improvement for a large number of people, and if healthcare was generally cut in half from such things like that surgery center, that would include the price of your sons psychiatrist and your prescriptions - also benefiting you and him.

Again, don't let perfect be the enemy of progress. Take steps where you can.

[xchrom]

13. so she can be damned in the name of some 'progress' that

would be better attained through medicare for all.

democrats are as capable of cannibalism as republicans.

as long as it meets their political needs.

[TampaAnimusVortex]

15. And in the delay caused by fighting for perfect - other people die...

Good job. By not compromising - with trying to make it to the eventual end goal - it's as bad as fundamentalists who don’t budge from their line in the sand too. In the mean time, prices remain high, people die... and nothing changes.

Another case of "If I cant have it my way, I'm taking my ball and going home". Screw those who could get the medicine and treatment with now cheaper and more affordable prices... I want it all single payer NOW! and if I cant have it, screw them! Let them die... There's a principle at stake right!?

[xchrom]

16. designing poor governmental programs is neither 'pragmatic' nor 'progress'.

you're still cannibalizing in the name of your 'pragmatism'. no better than a republican.

[TampaAnimusVortex]

17. No - your being fundamentalist about it, much like the religious right.

Last edited Tue May 20, 2014, 11:53 AM - Edit history (1)

I remember the last time our politicians couldn't compromise and it shut down the government and people lost valuable services.
Sounds like you support such a hard line approach. Damn the consequences... what if the little people get hurt as long as you can pursue your puritan ideals right?

I want real progress with real people being being helped instead of trading it off for some undetermined day in the distant future.

[Doctor_J]

14. This is how we got stuck with Heritage Care

So you want to toss out good for the sake of perfect?

This canard has been rolled out for every appeasement by the Dems over the last 5.5 years.

Making people like djean and her son & grandson pay for health care is not "the good"

[jwirr]

7. Will they be an option on the ACA exchange?