This startup is using tech for birth control services in DC

With a new pivot into Medicaid insurance coverage, healthtech startup Twentyeight Health has huge plans for the telemedicine scene in DC.

The company, which focuses on reproductive and sexual health, was founded in 2018 in New York City before expanding to offer services in 33 states and DC. As of this week, it is now accepting Medicaid insurance in the district. While the company already had a presence in the area, cofounder Amy Fan said that the addition of Medicaid can help Twentyeight Health expand its footprint to the near-300,000 people in DC covered by the federal health insurance program.

“That’s nearly a third of the population of DC,” Fan told Technical.ly. “I think there’s sometimes a misconception that Medicaid is on the fringe, but really, it is an important service that impacts a lot of people.”

Twentyeight Health began in the hopes of increasing access to reproductive and sexual health, with a focus on underserved communities. It currently provides virtual telemedicine and ongoing care in both English and Spanish. The company also provides patients with access to birth control, emergency contraception and home COVID tests for patients. Fan said that Twentyeight Health also seeks to provide inclusive care: All of the doctors in its network are women, with over 75% being BIPOC and 45% offering Spanish-language services.

Patients begin the process by filling out a medical questionnaire that is also reviewed asynchronously by a doctor. They can also schedule audio consultations or message a doctor directly, which Fan noted offers more access for patients that lack high-speed internet.

The goal of Twentyeight Health, Fan said, is to make it easier for patients to access tools like contraceptives. But it’s crucial to maintain access both at the start of the process and in the time after, she noted, as patients experience side effects and other potential issues.

“For us, it’s so important that the user can continue to message the doctor so that the doctor can help them find either another brand or another method that might be more appropriate,” Fan said. “So, for someone who is looking for birth control, they can actually find something that works for them.”

Fan said that she and cofounder Bruno Van Tuykom built the Twentyeight Health system in-house. Currently, the company doesn’t plan to open any clinics of its own; It instead seeks to partner with local clinics and create a more seamless healthcare experience. The company also eventually hopes to add support for women in their pre and post-natal journey.

“There’s so much potential to telehealth, especially when we think about it in combination of both asynchronous and synchronous [elements], and really think about how we can build it to really fit an individual’s lifestyle,” Fan said.