Chat with a Doctor Online | Alan Health Insurance

The French company Alan is developing health insurance solutions, and currently provides coverage to 100,000 individuals. I recently spoke with Jean-Charles Samuelian-Werve, the company’s co-founder and CEO, to receive an update regarding their offerings.

Alan now operates as a fully licensed insurance provider, functioning independently without partnerships with established insurance firms. Their primary customer base consists of businesses seeking insurance for their workforce.

In France, employees typically benefit from coverage through both the national healthcare system and supplemental private insurance. Alan focuses on persuading companies to utilize their services to insure their entire employee base.

Throughout its history, Alan has expanded its services to include comprehensive coverage options, collaborations with CNP Assurances, Livi and Petit Bambou, and a targeted approach to specific sectors, such as the hospitality industry and individuals who are retired.

“We have consistently continued development, and I believe our rate of progress has actually accelerated. We’ve launched several significant improvements in recent months, benefiting our members, the companies we serve, and our internal operations,” Samuelian-Werve explained.

A key advancement, not directly visible to users, is a new system enabling the creation of customized insurance packages on demand. This system leverages historical data to dynamically calculate pricing, opening up opportunities to serve larger organizations requiring insurance tailored to their specific requirements.

While Alan’s largest current client employs between 1,000 and 1,500 people, the company is actively pursuing contracts with even larger businesses. The intention is to provide bespoke insurance packages to companies with over 100 employees.

Alan maintains pricing transparency by clearly displaying the costs associated with covering various medical needs based on the selected options. A membership fee is added to access the platform and its associated services.

Alan is also introducing a new messaging capability, allowing users to engage in text-based conversations with a physician whenever health-related questions arise – this feature is included as part of their insurance plan. Alan’s goal is not to substitute a patient’s primary care physician, but to provide a convenient avenue for seeking guidance when unsure of the appropriate course of action.

Qualified doctors are available to respond to inquiries through this service. “We have a dedicated full-time physician and are collaborating with approximately ten doctors on a part-time basis,” Samuelian-Werve stated.

The Alan application has been redesigned to prioritize health information over insurance details. The app now displays a comprehensive record of all interactions with healthcare professionals, and users can store relevant documents and notes in a centralized location.

This functionality is similar to France’s DMP (Dossier Médical Partagé), a personal health record repository. Alan does not intend to replace this public service, but hopes to integrate with it to facilitate data exchange in the future.

With user permission, Alan can also provide proactive health reminders. For example, the system can notify parents when their child is due for vaccinations, or remind individuals who haven’t visited the dentist in a year to schedule a checkup.

Finally, the company has streamlined the reimbursement process. “Currently, 74% of reimbursements are processed within one hour, and we utilize instant transfers to deposit funds directly into your bank account,” Samuelian-Werve shared.

As demonstrated, Alan is implementing continuous, incremental improvements to its product. The company anticipates expanding its services to additional European countries in the years ahead.