Healthcare startup Curative, best-known for providing COVID-19 testing, is introducing a health plan with no copays or deductibles.
The company is offering the new plan in the Austin, Texas, area, with plans to expand throughout Texas over the next year, Curative said Sept. 21. The announcement comes as the startup lays off 109 employees from its testing business in California.
In a news release, Fred Turner, co-founder and CEO of Curative, said the startup is on a mission to "drastically remake" the U.S. healthcare system.
"The only way to achieve true cost transparency is for all in-network services to be covered at $0 cost, so members actually know where they stand and can get the care they need without surprise bills or medical debt," Mr. Turner said in the release.
According to the news release, Curative plan members will not owe any copay costs if they complete a baseline visit to evaluate preventive care and health literacy.
The startup will open a common space for members in downtown Austin, featuring a fitness center and other amenities. Curative's health plan will be available to employers with more than 51 employees.
Bethany Leffingwell, senior vice president of strategic communications and programming at the Austin Chamber of Commerce, said in the news release Curative's plan is an important piece in meeting the health needs of the city's growing population.
"Austin embraces positive change and those who champion it. And for that reason, we think Curative and Austin will be a perfect match," Ms. Leffingwell said.