Re:Show HN: Eligible API for 700+ Health Insurance Companies
by aamar on Saturday August 11, 2012 @01:56AM
(#4369560)
I as a user would like to tell you my insurance info and tell you what procedure I want and you tell me the best/cheapest location to get that done.
This is offered by Castlight Health (www.castlighthealth.com), where I used to work. Though it is currently only sold to employers & offered free to their employees.
Re the groupon model: I think you'd need to adjust the model a lot to sell services which are frequently covered by insurance. Teeth whitening generally isn't insured, which is why it is in fact a very frequent groupon offer.
Re:Show HN: Eligible API for 700+ Health Insurance Companies
by dfc on Friday August 10, 2012 @09:04PM
(#4369032)
Insurance covers teeth whitening? I thought elective/cosmetic procedures were not covered.
Re:Show HN: Eligible API for 700+ Health Insurance Companies
by emmapersky on Friday August 10, 2012 @09:11PM
(#4369047)
Each insurance is different. And each companies plans within them are different. Anything is possible if someone is willing to pay.
Re:Show HN: Eligible API for 700+ Health Insurance Companies
by samstave on Saturday August 11, 2012 @12:01AM
(#4369390)
Not all do - but this is why I ask - I would like to see an API that lets me search for procedures I want, and ultimately have a market that makes the providers of that service compete for MY business.
As it stands, the insurance market is inverted that it makes the insured compete for coverage.
Re:Show HN: Eligible API for 700+ Health Insurance Companies
by kategleason on Saturday August 11, 2012 @12:48AM
(#4369470)
Agreed. Castlight health is doing this for employees of certain companies http://www.castlighthealth.com/.
I as a user would like to tell you my insurance info and tell you what procedure I want and you tell me the best/cheapest location to get that done.
Then - here is where the groupon model farking failed: (I have only ever bought one groupon, and I never used it, but the model for groupon should be applied to things people NEED); I want to see coupons for medical, eye, dental procedures - things I dont buy too often and when I do, I want the best deal possible.
So, for example, I want teeth whitening. Or a full eye exam... etc..
Actually - there was a rockhealth company that was doing something similar, that was in the first batch, but they were LA only and hadn't quite built out the right system...
/rant...