Babylon Solidifies its Position as the Leader in Digital-First Value-Based Care in the US with Investment in Meritage Medical Network
Expanding Babylon’s network of providers, helping to lower costs, improve care, enhance quality performance, and modernize at scale
Continues Rapid US Growth by bringing its AI-powered Babylon 360 Healthcare service to 90,000 people in the U.S
- In total, 90,000 people under certain health care plans across the US will now have access to Babylon 360 – a highly scalable value-based care service focused on preventative and total cost of care.
- Babylon 360 combines AI-powered technology, medical expertise and top quality personal care – offering members highly accessible, affordable care that’s available 24/7 on the devices they already own.
- Meritage partnership builds on recent investment in Fresno-based FirstChoice Medical Group.
- Babylon will work alongside more than 2,000 providers across California to introduce the benefits of the Babylon 360 platform – powering and automating operations through its digital-first, self-care front end.
NOVATO, CA — April 29, 2021 –
Babylon, the leading digital-first value based care company with the mission to put accessible and affordable healthcare in the hands of every person on Earth, today announced the acquisition of Meritage Medical Network (Meritage) through its affiliated California medical corporation to care for over 20,000 Medicare Advantage and Commercial HMO patients with its Babylon 360 healthcare service. This investment establishes the company’s position as the leader in digital-first, value-based care as it picks up speed in its rapid expansion across the United States.
Babylon will acquire Meritage’s management service functionalities, which include services such as care management, claims processing, medical management, and population health programs, and Meritage Health Plan, a subsidiary of Meritage that holds a Restricted Knox Keene license. Meritage’s expertise in managing the total cost of care coupled with Babylon’s digital-first care capabilities will allow for streamlined physician operations and more efficient end-to-end care delivery within Meritage’s network, freeing providers up so they can focus on proactively managing patient care. Today’s announcement follows Babylon’s recent investment in FirstChoice Medical Group, another California-based Independent Physician Association.
Dr. Ali Parsa, CEO, Babylon, said:
“In less than a year, Babylon has gone from being unknown in the US to today managing the total cost of care for up to 90,000 lives. That is why we are thrilled to be partnering with the incredible providers under Meritage Medical Network, as it allows us to bring the benefits of our Babylon 360 healthcare service to thousands more people across California and the US.
We believe that people deserve a simpler, more affordable way of accessing quality care, and we aim to empower each person to take control of their healthcare journey with our easy to use digital-first tools.”
Meritage patients will join the 50,000 other Californians who were under the FirstChoice Medical umbrella to have round-the-clock access to app-based care tools powered by Babylon 360 – Babylon’s whole-person, digital-first integrated care offering built to keep people healthy when well and to care for them when sick. The Babylon 360 service and app-based care tools are available to members at no additional charge. Babylon will continue to roll out its Babylon 360 care offering across the US using the company’s powerful 50-state network.
Wojtek Nowak, CEO of Meritage Medical Network said:
“Partnering with Babylon affords Meritage access to the latest healthcare technology along with new growth opportunities and significant resources we can now deploy in supporting our physicians and their patients.”
Over the coming months, Babylon will work closely with physicians and other care providers from both Meritage and FirstChoice Medical Group to roll out its digital-first platform, delivering better patient outcomes through a focus on preventative care, while achieving significant provider savings. This partnership with Meritage means Babylon’s end-to-end platform and value-based care services will be available to group providers and certain members across six California counties – Madera, Fresno, Marin, Napa, Sonoma and Solano.
Integrating the power of Babylon’s AI and technology stack with the highest quality virtual clinical services, Babylon 360 serves as the digital front door to quality healthcare, making care more accessible and affordable for all. The Babylon app-based tools can be accessed 24/7 and include a symptom information checker, a Healthcheck information tool, live chat with real Babylon primary healthcare professionals, and virtual doctor consultations. As part of Babylon’s rapid expansion in the United States, it is already providing services to members of certain health plans in New York, California, Missouri, Nevada and Iowa, as part of its 50-state network.
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About Babylon
Babylon is a globally leading technology company with the mission to put an accessible and affordable health service in the hands of every person on Earth.
We combine technology and medical expertise to bring doctors and people closer together, with digital healthcare tools designed to empower people with knowledge about their health. Through a range of digital health services – such as AI-backed digital health tools and video doctor appointments – we give people round-the-clock access to affordable, holistic healthcare services. We work with governments, health providers and insurers across the globe, and support healthcare facilities from small local practices to large hospitals.
Babylon covers 24 million people across the globe, and has delivered more than 8 million virtual consultations and AI interactions. We have teamed up with numerous impactful worldwide partners — including Mount Sinai Health Partners, Centene, Prudential, the UK’s NHS, Telus Health, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Government of Rwanda — to fulfill our vision of accessible and affordable healthcare, for all. For more information, visit https://www.babylonhealth.com/us.
