Sempre Health is gamifying healthcare to reduce costs

Working for an incentive makes anything more fun, even healthcare. Sempre Health, a company launched from Alchemist Accelerator, is looking to lower the cost for prescription medication by rewarding healthy lifestyles, reports TechCrunch.

Taking behavioral data from the pharmacy allows the company to see what’s been prescribed and what’s been filled and offers prompts if a prescription isn’t picked up in the first seven days to two weeks. Using SMS to encourage compliance and staying with their treatments, Sempre is able to “gamify” healthcare.

By “gamifying” healthcare and incenting good behavior, Sempre is designed to ease the cost of prescription drugs for patients who might otherwise not buy them. As a more compelling approach, it aims to reduces costs across the board and encourages better behavior by using a rewards system that gives patients discounts for adhering to a treatment regime.

“You do things every day that save the health system money. Every time you take your medications or go to the doctor for a physical or get a mammogram or colonoscopy – you’re being a responsible patient,” says Anurati Mathur, Sempre Health co-founder.  “What if you could use your behavior as currency? With Sempre Health, we’re creating a world in which your behavior can subsidize your expense.”

The company has a 200 patient pilot underway with the University of Michigan and is in conversation with 21 other pharmaceutical companies, pharmacies, payers and employers.