Hint & Eden Partner to Bring a Fundamentally Different Primary Care Model to National Scale

Hint Health, the company powering the Direct Primary Care (DPC) movement, and Eden Health, a leading national virtual and in-person primary care provider, today announced a partnership to expand the Hint Connect footprint with a virtual DPC offering across all 50 states. Hint Connect is a single point of entry to independent, community-based DPC practices for employers, third-party administrators (TPAs), and innovative health plans looking to offer DPC in their benefits plans. Eden Health leverages easy-to-use technology to connect patients directly to a dedicated team of providers that manages their primary care, mental health, and care navigation needs. This partnership allows employers to offer a DPC network nationwide for patients who don’t have convenient access to a DPC practice in their communities.

Why Offer Direct Primary Care

According to a poll, less than half of Americans are satisfied with the quality of U.S. healthcare. Long wait times to see a doctor, short appointments, and lack of coordination between care settings leave patients feeling like no one cares about them or their health. Furthermore, healthcare costs continue to rise despite a worsening patient experience.

Fundamentally, the experience we’re all looking for – and typically miss – is more quality time spent between clinician and patient. The patient wants to know their clinician, and the clinician wants to provide their patient with personalized and complete healthcare. DPC makes this experience possible by cutting insurance out of the primary care process and replacing it with thoughtful, scalable, incentive-aligned clinical models.

The benefits of Direct Primary Care include:

• Access: DPC physicians typically offer same-day or next-day appointments and use technology like telemedicine, e-mail, and text messaging to make themselves more accessible to their patients on demand.

• Quality: DPC providers are able to spend more time with their patients. Standard primary care providers only have an average of 17 minutes to spend on each patient; with DPC, providers spend up to an hour with patients to uncover the root cause of complex health issues and offer holistic care.

• Cost: DPC is proven to sharply decrease costs and utilization in higher cost of care settings, including emergency department, hospital inpatient, and outpatient specialty costs. With DPC, patients pay one transparent, monthly fee and know exactly what is covered. They are able to visit the doctor when needed, instead of waiting until healthcare concerns get worse.

The Partnership & How it Works

Hint Connect is a nationally scaled network of Direct Primary Care practices that excels at building trusted clinical relationships locally. When employers or plans offer Hint Connect, members can choose between a fully virtual primary care model or an in-person/virtual hybrid based on their personal preference, geography, and health needs.

When members select the in-person/virtual hybrid model, they and their families register with Hint Connect and choose a nearby DPC location. There is no copay or coinsurance for visits.

When members choose the fully virtual primary care experience with Eden Health, they will be able to connect with their provider within minutes and at the touch of a button, 24/7/365. Unlike many other telehealth solutions, patients meet with the same clinician throughout their care journey, allowing them to develop a trusting, longitudinal relationship with their provider. All clinicians are fully-employed by Eden Health and are dedicated to serving their patient panel virtually. Patients receiving virtual care through Eden Health have access to primary care, urgent care, chronic disease management, wellness and care coordination services, all through a single app and free of cost.

“Eden Health clinicians are more than just someone picking up extra hours after their full-time shift ends,” said Hint Health CEO, Zak Holdsworth. “Eden’s pioneering work to champion a true virtual Direct Primary Care model will allow us to further achieve our mission of making DPC the new standard in U.S. healthcare.”

This partnership means that employers and plans will no longer have to make the tough decision between local options and virtual-only options. Instead, employees will have the opportunity to choose the plan that’s right for them to receive the highest quality, full access, primary care for one flat membership fee built into their health plan. Hint Connect simplifies enrollment and eligibility management, billing, and invoicing for a seamless benefit management experience.

“With Hint Connect, employers no longer have to navigate the daunting task of contracting with dozens or hundreds of individual DPC physicians,” said Matt McCambridge, CEO and co-founder of Eden Health. “Instead, they will have access to an extensive network of physicians at the click of a button, which is why we are thrilled to be a part of the network.”

Together, Hint and Eden offer a uniquely comprehensive solution for organizations looking to solve the national problem of healthcare access and quality.

The partnership comes on the heels of another Hint Connect partnership announced in January of this year with Nextera Healthcare and follows a significant year for Hint Health in 2022 with the acquisition of AeroDPC and a $45 million investment led by Banneker Partners and Frist Cressey Ventures.

About Hint Health

Hint Health is the leading digital health company dedicated to supporting the growth and success of the Direct Primary Care (DPC) movement. With a mission to power direct care and make it the new standard, the HintOS platform powers thousands of clinics and networks across the nation providing care for nearly a million members. Hint also produces Hint Summit, the leading DPC innovation conference and supports Hint Connect, a curated national network of independent DPC clinics. Founded in 2013 by Zak Holdsworth and Graham Melcher, the company is headquartered in San Francisco, CA. To learn more visit hint.com.

About Eden Health

Eden Health is a new kind of primary care that unites primary care, mental health support, and care navigation under a Collaborative Care model to simplify the complexity that patients typically face. Eden works directly with employer groups and health plans to provide best-in-class, 24/7 virtual and in-person care that builds trust, engagement, and satisfaction. Eden’s clients like Rent the Runway, Harry’s, and Emigrant Bank see industry-leading engagement: 66% of eligible patients have completed an Eden Health clinical encounter in the first 12 months, with an average satisfaction score of 4.95 out of 5. To learn more about Eden Health, please visit www.edenhealth.com.

Contact Information

Melissa Mowery

Senior Account Manager

VSC for Hint Health

Hint@vsc.co