Telehealth platform HealthTap is now going to serve patients who need durable medical equipment, but don’t have a primary care provider, through a partnership with national DME supplier Aeroflow.
HealthTap was founded as a telehealth primary care practice in 2010. It offers multiple ways for patients to engage with its services, whether they’re covered by Medicare, commercial insurance or prefer a cash pay option through same day or same week appointments.
“Traditional telehealth… has largely been triaged through transactional call or chat to the monitors that can hear your concern. Where we focus more … is the long-term relationship with one doctor that actually takes care of you holistically,” HealthTap CEO Sean Mehra said in an interview.
HealthTap is partnering with DME company Aeroflow Healthcare, which provides continuous glucose monitors, breast pumps, PAP (positive airway pressure) supplies and continence products to patients. This is the first partnership HealthTap has with a DME supplier—and it hopes there are more in the future.
This type of medical equipment requires an order from a provider. HealthTap pointed to a statistic that between a third to half of all Americans do not have a primary care provider. This is a barrier for patients who know they need medication or medical devices for chronic diseases.
Aeroflow also saw the issue with their patients who needed new orders for necessary medical equipment but didn’t have an easy avenue to see a primary care doctor. HealthTap operates in all 50 states and says it specializes in building long-term relationships with patients.
HealthTap is now going to step in to fill that role for patients in need of a PCP. They’re touting the effort as a new front door for virtual primary care.
Mehra said that the primary use case for the partnership will be for patients who are already connected with Aeroflow but need their medical equipment re-ordered by a provider. If the patient does not have a provider, Aeroflow will direct them to HealthTap for evaluation.
Mehra said Aeroflow’s outreach to patients about HealthTap’s services will be targeted to patients with whom Aeroflow has an existing relationship. HealthTap will also address the patient’s other primary care needs beyond DME.
“As the demand for DME continues to grow, we are excited to collaborate with HealthTap to provide patients with enhanced access to healthcare services,” said Casey Hite, CEO of Aeroflow Health. “This partnership reflects our shared commitment to improving health outcomes through accessible, integrated care solutions.”
There will also likely be language on the Aeroflow website that will direct patients to HealthTap if they need an order for a medical device.
HealthTap is cognizant of fraudulent billing schemes involving durable medical equipment but said DME billing protocols will prevent fraudulent activity.
"Just like accessing medications or lab services, accessing DME is a central component of ensuring patients receive comprehensive, ongoing care. However, for the tens of millions of Americans that rely on durable medical equipment each year, those without a PCP may experience disruptions in their care that can lead to downstream health complications,” said Mehra. “Our mission has always been to bring affordable, high-quality primary care to every American, and our partnership with Aeroflow enhances this commitment by allowing us to reach more patients in a critical market segment."