For the second time in over three years, Minneapolis-based startup, Reema Health, has raised millions of dollars to continue to expand its healthcare navigation services.
The company said in a news release on Tuesday that it brought in $19 million in a second round raise from LRVHealth and Optum Ventures.
In 2022, the startup raised $8 million in its seed round, and had netted $1.25 million in a prior, pre-seed round.
Founded in 2019, Reema works as an online platform employing community health workers who call and guide “the most complex and marginalized patients” through scheduling appointments, refilling prescriptions and obtaining referrals to social services.
The company says their community guides build relationships with members over time by checking in on appointment visits and having “normal conversations,” to help build trust and make their members feel comfortable enough to share vulnerable and crucial information about their lives.
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Reema also has psychiatric nurse practitioners who prescribe medications in a virtual setting.
According to its news release, Reema’s partnership with a national health plan established connections with 32% of previously unengaged members to reduce emergency department visits by 22% and total cost of care by 23%. Through its partnership with Reema, the health plan generated a 3.2X return on investment in the first 12 months.
This data comes from a study conducted by Havarti Risk, a health actuarial consultant, who tracked 3,000 of Reema’s members over 24 months, analyzing their healthcare utilization in the 12 months before and after Reema’s involvement.
Most of the startup’s patients are enrolled in Medicaid, Medicare, or both.
“We’re confident in our ability to reduce the cost of care,” says Justin Ley, Reema Health’s co-founder and CEO. “Medicaid plans are in a challenging position where budget cuts will shrink enrollment to a sicker member mix with higher per member costs. That’s why they need Reema more than ever.”
The company also announced Tuesday it plans to launch a maternal health offering in the future. It currently provides services to 14 markets across the U.S. and plans to expand to three additional states in early 2026.
