Medical insurance in the USA can now be obtained not only through work, but also through housing

Six thousand residents now have access to free telemedicine at their place of residence, and not at work, writes Fast Company.

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For most Americans, health insurance is dependent on their employment. This means that millions of people are uninsured or insufficiently insured, especially during the pandemic, when 6 million people were directly deprived of insurance provided by their employer.

What if you could access your health plan in some other way, such as through housing? For residents who live on property owned by Comunidad Partners, this is now an option.

Comunidad Partners is a real estate investment company that buys, renovates and manages multifamily properties. The company is commercial but mission-oriented. It works in tandem with Veritas Impact Partners, a nonprofit co-founded by Comunidad managing partner Antonio Marques, to provide services to its tenants. Together, Comunidad and Veritas brought a virtual health program to Comunidad residents.

Comunidad and Veritas have partnered with a Fortune 500 health care provider—they won't disclose who it is, but Marquez says it's a household name—for a telemedicine contract. The company provides virtual health care to employers, and Comunidad asked them to develop a program for multi-family communities. These residents can connect with a physician or nurse practitioner through the app to virtually receive a diagnosis or treatment prescription; medical care covers both physical and mental health, is completely free for residents and will be available indefinitely, not just during the pandemic.

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This residential health care became available to Comunidad residents in May 2020, and is provided in 2000 households with over 6000 residents. This is roughly half of Comunidad's portfolio; Marquez hopes to bring it up to 100% soon, and says the company is working on outreach to help residents download and sign up for the app. Since the initiative was initiated by a non-profit organization, Veritas may partner with other companies that operate affordable housing to bring virtual healthcare to even more renters. Comunidad Partners hopes that in 3-5 years it will be able to reach 20 families and 000 residents.

Márquez says this is one of the first times families can get free telehealth through a real estate operator, which means people don't have to rely on work to get health insurance. However, he is not concerned that residents will not work or pay rent. If the resident does lose his job, he will still receive medical care. Marquez says Comunidad has programs to help them write resumes, get vocational training, or even find a job.

This plan is about not only generosity, but business sense as well.

“If your residents are happy, they will live in your property longer, and if you have long-term residents, your occupancy is higher, your operating costs are lower, your turnover costs are lower, and your income will be the same or higher,” he says. “Even if one is skeptical about the social impact, if they are purely profit-oriented, then look at it as a strategic imperative to do right by its residents.” And it also has some economic incentive.”

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Márquez says that ever since he offered telemedicine, he has heard that residents are extending their rent precisely because they have the ability to receive health care through their home.

“Employment is not a prerequisite for health, nor should it be. Health and well-being should be an inalienable right, he says. - This is not a political statement, but simply a human one. Frankly, we feel obligated to do a little more.”

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