Startup Hive Health makes HMO acquisition

Digital health insurance startup Hive Health has acquired Health Plan Philippines, Inc. (HPPI), a pioneering health maintenance organization (HMO) in the country.

With this acquisition, Hive Health will be able to share its technology and data-driven innovations with HPPI’s existing members and integrate HPPI's nationwide provider network and institutional knowledge built across 37 years.

Hive Health, which was founded by Harvard and Stanford University students in 2021, offers health plans for small and medium enterprises and startups, covering outpatient, inpatient, emergency, and dental care through a nationwide network of 1,700 hospitals and clinics and over 60,000 doctors.

''Hive Health's digital platform empowers patients to manage their own care and their dependents' care effortlessly—enabling tasks such as requesting letters of approval within minutes to allow patients to skip the long lines in hospitals, viewing plan benefits, finding nearby providers, scheduling annual physical exams, and accessing medical records—all from their phone or computer,'' it said.

''Additionally, members enjoy fast out-of-network reimbursements within 3-5 days and exclusive wellness perks.''

“We’re also proud of our one-of-a-kind vertically integrated telehealth and care coordination model that bridges virtual and in-person care. Patients can book on-demand video teleconsultations with our team of Hive doctors, who use our in-house electronic medical records system to enable patients to get more accurate diagnoses and access the right care whenever they need it,” said Jiawen Tang, president and co-founder of Hive Health. 

Camille Ang, co-founder and CEO of Hive Health, said their goal is for ''all Filipinos to feel secure that their health is taken care of and to give employers a sustainable way to take part in making that happen.''

“Hive Health’s journey to date, especially with the acquisition of HPPI, marks a significant milestone, not just for our company but also for the Philippine startup landscape. It underscores the potential of startups like Hive Health to shrink the change and make an impact on intractable problems.'' — VBL, GMA Integrated News