Teletherapy Startup Using Uber-like Model

An article on Xconomy.com recently discussed Breakthrough, a Silicon Valley teletherapy startup, which has raised $6 million to bring therapists and patients together, Uber-style. Breakthrough connects therapists and patients who might otherwise not find each other. And the data is compelling: 64 percent of its patients have reported that they would not have been able to get care if it wasn't for Breakthrough, says Mark Goldenson, CEO and co-founder of Breakthrough. 

Compelling? Yes. Innovative? Definitely, and not just in their tele-technology. Breakthrough succeeded where others have failed: they got insurance companies' buy-in. Says Mark Goldenson, former PayPal product manager, "We’re not saying, 'Here’s this cool technology and you have to go implement it and recruit providers, and make it secure behind your firewall.' We have the network. We've already trained them on the technology, you don't have to put it behind your firewall, just sign us up like an in-person practice group." The first contract with an insurance company took two years to negotiate, but now, with three in total, Breakthrough has 100 licensed psychiatrists and psychologists in four states. Says Mark Goldenson, "Our patients—if they have an insurer we accept—they’re looking at paying a $25 copay if anything.”

But it's not all about the money. Goldenson and his co-founder, former CEO of MCC Behavioral, Julian Cohen, think that online therapy can remove a lot of the roadblocks to mental health care, including the prohibitively high prices, the associated stigmas, and the difficulty of access. Those on Medicaid will find it to be particularly helpful, because they often face other obstacles to getting the therapy they need, like a lack of childcare, time off of work, or transportation. This is the next level: penetrating new markets that have typically avoided mental health therapy, because of geographic, social, or financial constraints. With the right amount of marketing, insurance company buy-in, and trust, this startup could make a real breakthrough.