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Almond aims to modernize Ob-Gyn care for people who want “something more modern, full-service and comprehensive” than traditional providers. Fresh from Y Combinator, the company announced a $7 million seed round.
“The patient experience today is slow, incomplete, and ultimately not delivering good results,” co-founder Tara Rafi said in an interview with TechCrunch. “As a country, we are giving. [Almond] Upcoming ob-gyn office updates.
According to the Commonwealth Fund’s 2020 report, 75% of women in the country are dissatisfied with their ob-gyn care. The specialty is the second largest specialty expense after primary care.
Current offerings include pregnancy planning, birth control counseling, infections, general health, menstrual management and sexual health services. Before the patient’s appointment, they fill out health questionnaires and explain the reasons for the visit, so when they are seen, it is not a general assessment, but a general discussion about the patient’s health. If patients can’t make it into the office, they have the option of telehealth appointments for the next day.
Almond charges users a $250 annual subscription fee and covers insurance for the tours and labs. The subscription gives patients access to the company’s platform, care team and personalized plans. Although the company says that uninsured individuals may seek treatment at out-of-pocket costs.
The company has repeatedly stated that it is trying to transform the Ob-Gyn sector as a medical primary care by offering a direct-to-consumer membership model. With a OneMedical subscription, individuals have access to 24/7 virtual care, software, personalized plans and what it considers “consistent quality care.” Almond seems to be taking that approach with its subscription-based model. Almond’s founders told TechCrunch that they hope to have greater access to patients as a medicine.
The average cost of a general ob-gyn visit in the United States can range from $90 to $500, according to UCLA Health. In Almond, the cost of a general in-person visit, without insurance, is $300.
Almond also said that given the current political situation, he is prioritizing providing abortion services and reproductive services. After the overturning of Roe v. Wade and the results of the midterm elections, some states are expected to begin making policy decisions restricting abortion services.
“The overturning of Roe is a reminder that women are still denied the right to be decision makers over their own bodies. That’s annoying,” Rafi said.
According to the Pew Research Center, about half of all abortions performed in a clinical setting are medical abortions, and in 2010 In 2017, there were only 1,587 facilities providing abortion services nationwide.
Abortion restrictions disproportionately affect BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) populations. Even before Roe was overturned, BIPOC communities faced significant barriers to reproductive care. According to a report published in the National Library of Medicine, black and Latinx women have higher rates of unintended pregnancy than their white counterparts.
In addition to Almond, brands such as Tia, a comprehensive women’s health care provider, and Styx, a women’s health product company, are working to provide more full-service options in women’s health.
Almond first started as part of the Y Combinators summer cohort and has since been backed by a $7 million seed round led by True Ventures.
This round of funds will be used to grow the operational staff, further develop the platform and look at expansion.
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