Pooja Ika Becomes First Woman at 24 to Launch a New Medicare Advantage Health Plan in the United States

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Pooja Ika
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BOSTON—2019 Babson College graduate Pooja Ika has made history by becoming the first woman to launch a new Medicare Advantage Health Plan in the United States, delivering a high-quality and affordable health plan for seniors.

Headquartered in Boston’s Back Bay, eternalHealth was founded by Ms. Ika, who serves as its CEO. Since then, eternalHealth has already grown to a team of 20 and has raised a seed round of $10 million from successful healthcare and tech entrepreneurs.

“For the first time ever, a health plan has been launched in the U.S. by a woman at 24 and not only that, but by a woman of color. This all has been accomplished within a year, a process that typically takes health plans two to three years,” said Ms. Ika. “Navigating through the healthcare system can be complicated, and insurance companies are not always the best at helping you navigate through it. eternalHealth is committed to empowering our members so that they make informed decisions and take their care into their own hands. By educating our members, establishing trusted relationships with the providers and health systems in our network, and using the latest in
technology and tools, we can deliver higher quality care at a lower cost to our members.”

eternalHealth has also attracted the attention of Red Sox legend David Ortiz, popularly known as Big Papi. Ortiz has partnered with the organization as their Brand Ambassador, stating that he truly believes in eternalHealth’s mission.

“Eighty percent of healthcare decisions are made by women for their families. However, women remain underrepresented in the healthcare industry, especially in c-suite positions,” said Ms. Ika, who has been passionate about healthcare since childhood. “eternalHealth is proud to be a woman-owned, run, and built organization. Having women at the forefront of our company increases engagement, improves outcomes, and enables us to make more comprehensive healthcare decisions for the entire family.”

Ms. Ika said that eternalHealth is committed to being a new kind of plan that is focused on doing things the right way and establishing lasting relationships with its members.

“At our core, we believe in operating with trust, transparency, and integrity with all of our partners. This includes our members, health systems, doctors, and all other healthcare delivery partners,” added Ms. Ika. “We went through a rightful and rigorous vetting process by state officials and now, we are excited to say we’re the first new health plan launched in Massachusetts since 2013.”

Through its technology-driven, innovative platform, eternalHealth is able to substantially reduce its administrative and operating costs across the entire enterprise. The cost savings allow more dollars to be allocated towards actual medical care, while also passing down savings to members through robust, yet affordable products.

By the time eternalHealth acquires approximately 10,000 members, it aims to
manage its SG&A at 8%, which has been a challenge for many start-up Medicare Advantage health plans across the country. eternalHealth truly believes in implementing value-based care and exploring various platform-driven risk sharing models. By sharing risk, these models help providers better manage their patients care, while ensuring better outcomes for its members.

eternalHealth understands the importance of having a member-centric platform. Alongside friendly and helpful customer service, members also have access to an easy-to-use Member App and Portal that empowers them to take their care into their own hands.

Exemplified by their mission, “Your Forever Partner in Healthcare”, eternalHealth establishes unique relationships with all of its members. The company’s commitment and investment into preventative and chronic care management aligns with their proactive, and not reactive approach to healthcare. This is supported by members who want to
utilize the consumer centric tools to better manage their care and wellness.

As a local health plan, eternalHealth provides high-quality care with low out-of-pocket costs to the residents of Massachusetts, while prioritizing the specific needs of the people in the state. eternalHealth is a Medicare Advantage health plan that offers HMO and PPO products in Worcester, Middlesex, and Suffolk counties of the state.

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