Osara Health (previously known as CancerAid) has helped tens of thousands of people living with cancer to manage and improve their health outcomes. A third of these patients have reported an overall improvement in quality of life after using its program.
Osara Health has now expanded into a major new market for healthcare disruption - the United States. In March 2024, Osara Health announced it had signed US insurer Allstate Benefits to its platform. The Fortune 70 company provides supplemental insurance coverage to over 50,000 groups and insures more than 4 million people across the US.
'We just signed one of the largest employee health and benefits insurers in the largest healthcare market in the world,' says Dr Raghav Murali-Ganesh, Osara Health's Co-founder and CEO. 'It's a huge win for us. We appreciate all the support Austrade has provided to help us enter this major market.'
A holistic cancer support program
Murali-Ganesh, an oncologist, says his experience as a clinician inspired him to found Osara Health.
'In a clinical setting, you have 20 minutes to discuss the therapy and prognosis with patients and allay their fears and those of their family,' he says. 'There is little time to discuss holistic elements like exercise, diet and sleep that have been shown to improve health outcomes.'
Osara's digital coaching and support program is tailored to individual patients. It helps them track symptoms and manage everything from exercise and nutrition to relationships and financial wellbeing. The program is delivered via email, in-app, and through telephone calls with health coaches. The coaching program is not a replacement for medical treatment. It provides education and support only, designed to complement clinical treatment.
Osara's 54 enterprise and government clients include some of the world's largest corporations and insurers. Osara works with them to offer the program to employees and members. Its clients include AIA Insurance, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners, Commonwealth Bank, IBM, Lendlease, MinterEllison, MLC Insurance, NIB, and federal and state governments.
In August 2022, Osara partnered with the US telehealth giant to create an insurer-specific product called Cancer Companion. Cancer Companion combines Osara's coaching program and Teladoc's medical support services. It gives users access to psychosocial support and get second opinions from oncologists on the platform. Osara has signed Fidelity Life to the program.
Osara Health's app is helping people living with cancer to achieve better health outcomes.
Entering the world's largest healthcare market
From the outset, Osara had its eye on the US market. 'In terms of cancer care, the US is number one from a cost perspective,' says Murali-Ganesh. 'The market accounts for 60-70% of cancer spend globally. And costs are rising every year.'
With most large organisations in the US offering health insurance to their employees, Murali-Ganesh saw an opportunity for Osara. 'Our program can help these organisations reduce costs while still providing top-quality support for employees with a cancer diagnosis,' he says.
'We've published that show patients who use our program improve their outcomes,' says Murali-Ganesh. 'Around 32% of patients reported an overall improvement in quality of life. Some are more likely to return to work post-diagnosis. They also return to work 4.5 months faster. For insurers, our studies show there's a 10% reduction in long-term disability claims.'
Austrade support paves market entry
Austrade has supported Osara's export journey since 2020. The company had initially considered expanding into Asia and worked with Austrade to explore market fit and opportunities.
'Austrade provided market information, insights about the culture and doing business, and some introductions,' says Murali-Ganesh. 'In the end, the numbers didn't work out and we decided against entering the region. But that was the first time we discovered the power of Austrade and their enthusiasm for supporting Australian businesses.
'Austrade also facilitated a meeting with Arthur Sinodinos when he was the Australian Ambassador to the US,' adds Murali-Ganesh. 'His personal experience with cancer meant he was very interested in our work and how he could support us. That was a fantastic opportunity.'
In 2022, Osara took part in the Landing Pads program in San Francisco. 'Austrade supported us with our initial market entry, providing office space and advice on the nuances of entering the US market. It was helpful having an operational base to build off,' says Tim Atkins, Osara Health's Chief Operating Officer.
Osara has also used an Export Market Development Grant (EMDG) to promote its business in the US. 'The EMDG is powerful and we're very grateful for that tangible support,' says Murali-Ganesh.
Future plans
The contract with Allstate Benefits is only the beginning, says Murali-Ganesh.
'There are opportunities for our international clients in Australia to roll out the program to their business in the US and globally,' he says. 'We're in talks with other organisations about partnerships. We also have a number of new research studies demonstrating our clinical efficiency in the process of being published. It's an incredibly exciting time for us.'
