Cape Town - Joseph Kitonga, a US software developer originally from Kenya, has been listed in “Forbes” magazine’s Top 30 Under 30 list for creating a digital service that provides medical insurance that has so far reached around 10,000 members who could not afford medical insurance.
Kitonga’s Vitable Health digital platform provides medical insurance for millions of uninsured and underinsured Americans who do not have medical cover.
“The pandemic brought health care to the forefront of both employees and employers – especially hourly workers,” the 24-year-old founder and CEO told “Forbes”.
“Oftentimes, they are stuck uninsured without access to affordable health benefits and employers are really looking for affordable options. There weren’t many except for us,” said Kitonga.
Immigrating from Kenya when Kitonga was 13, his parents founded their own small home care company where caregivers would take care of senior citizens.
However, Kitonga told “Forbes”, they found that their employees made too much to qualify for Medicaid and too little to afford comprehensive health insurance.
According to Citizen Digital, Kitonga dropped out of Pennsylvania State University to found Vitable Health.
“We built a delightful new way for everyone to get the health care they need. Our providers make virtual and concierge in-home visits. Lab tests, imaging and prescription discounts included. Unlimited visits. No copays or deductibles,” the company says on its website.
Last year, Vitable Health announced that it had raised $7.2 million in a funding round to improve its application and increase its number of practitioners as it expands to new regions, wrote “Forbes”.
The company comprises a team of engineers, clinicians and operators, fundamentally redesigning how health care works for its members.
IOL