Fishtown Medicine offers a virtual-first Direct Primary Care benefit for Philadelphia employers. Members get unlimited primary care, mental health support, and chronic disease management, which often reduces total medical spend by 11% to 15% and lowers ER and specialist usage.
Fishtown Medicine partners with local businesses to reduce total medical spend by 11% to 15% while increasing employee engagement. Our virtual-first model handles complex, chronic care, not just minor urgent issues, so your team stays healthy, productive, and out of expensive hospital systems.
For HR leaders, the appeal is concrete: fewer ER visits, fewer specialist referrals, and a benefit your team actually uses. For employees, it is access to a real doctor in minutes, not weeks.
The Problem with Traditional Employee Health Benefits
Your employees have health insurance. But do they have healthcare?
- ER Overuse: Philadelphia ERs are overcrowded and expensive. Your employees use them because they cannot get timely access to their PCP (primary care physician).
- Specialist Leakage: Traditional PCPs refer out 20% to 30% of cases to specialists, driving up costs and creating fragmented care.
- Benefit Fatigue: Most "telemedicine" add-ons are underutilized because they only handle colds and minor issues.
- Hidden Costs: The real expense is not the insurance premium. It is the downstream cost of delayed care, unnecessary ER visits, and chronic disease progression.
Fishtown Medicine solves all of this.
The Financial Argument: Proven ROI for Philly Employers
Reduce Total Cost of Care by 11% to 15%
Every $1 invested in our primary care model produces an estimated $13 in downstream savings by:
- Preventing expensive ER visits (large reductions in ER use in our member population).
- Resolving 87% to 90% of cases inside the platform, which avoids unnecessary specialist referrals.
- Catching chronic conditions early, before they become catastrophically expensive.
Divert From Expensive Philly Hospital Systems
Philadelphia ERs charge $1,500 to $3,000 per visit for issues that are included in a membership with a single text to Dr. Ash. We keep your employees out of Penn Medicine, Jefferson, and Temple ERs for non-emergencies.
Stop "Referral Leakage"
Traditional PCPs refer out constantly. We resolve 87% to 90% of cases without external referrals, which saves you from facility fees, specialist copays, and fragmented care coordination.
The Clinical Product: Detailed, Not Transactional
Unlike legacy telemedicine apps that offer one-off prescriptions for colds, Fishtown Medicine provides a longitudinal medical home, meaning continuous care over months and years.
What We Actually Treat
- Chronic & Complex Care: More than half of our cases involve managing diabetes, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular risk.
- Mental Health: We treat the majority of low- to medium-acuity mental health issues (anxiety, depression) directly, without external referrals.
- Preventive Medicine: Advanced lipid panels, metabolic testing, cancer screening coordination.
- Acute Care: UTIs, sinus infections, skin issues, minor injuries, resolved same-day by text or video.
In-House Multispecialty Coordination
Your employees do not just get a PCP. They get Dr. Ash collaborating with board-certified specialists in cardiology, dermatology, and oncology, all coordinated within our platform.
Integrated Behavioral Health
Mental health is healthcare. We provide integrated behavioral support for anxiety, depression, stress management, and sleep issues, keeping care fast, accessible, and stigma-free.
Engagement: Built for the Philly Workforce
We solve benefit fatigue by being a service employees actually want to use.
High Activation Rates
We achieve activation rates as high as 39%, nearly double the industry standard. Our partnership with Little City Montessori is proof of concept. Teachers, staff, and families actively use the benefit because it truly improves their lives.
Violet Certified Inclusivity
We provide culturally competent care, specifically for LGBTQ+ employees. In a diverse city like Philadelphia, that inclusivity drives higher engagement and better health outcomes.
Turnkey Implementation
We make it easy to launch.
- Announcement Toolkits: Pre-built email templates, posters, and webinar slides.
- On-Site Launch Events: Dr. Ash can visit your office, restaurant, or school to introduce the benefit.
- Zero Admin Burden: We handle enrollment, onboarding, and ongoing support.
Custom Solutions by Business Size
For Mid-Market & Enterprise
Easy Integration: We integrate with benefit administrators (for example, Collective Health) using eligibility file feeds and outbound claims files.
Detailed Reporting: Quarterly Business Reviews (QBRs) with utilization reports, ROI tracking, and employee health trends.
Custom Pricing: Volume-based pricing with options for family coverage.
For Small Businesses (The "Small Biz Portal")
Zero Admin Heavy Lifting: Set up your group in minutes with no complex paperwork.
Simple, Flat Pricing: A predictable monthly rate per employee with no hidden fees and no long-term minimum commitments.
Flexible Funding: Can be offered as a taxable fringe benefit (similar to a gym membership or stipend), making it an easy thank-you or retention tool for small teams.
Built-In Healthcare Navigation
We act as an outsourced HR layer for medical logistics, reducing the administrative burden on your staff.
Health Advocates
Our team handles:
- Billing disputes
- Insurance prior authorizations
- Medical record transfers
- Pharmacy coordination
Curated Local Referrals
When in-person care is required, we guide employees to high-value, in-network Philadelphia providers, so they avoid high-cost, low-quality black holes.
Hybrid Capabilities: We Meet You Where You Work
To make sure no employee is left behind, Fishtown Medicine offers a physical presence that national apps cannot match.
Mobile & Workspace Clinics
We can deploy workspace clinics directly to your office, restaurant, school, or parking lot.
- Flu shots
- Physical screenings
- Biometric testing
- On-site consultations
We bring the doctor's office to the job site to minimize time away from work.
Who This Works Best For
Service & Hospitality Industry
Problem: High turnover, tight margins, limited time off for medical appointments.
Solution: Text-based care that fits into a shift break. Mobile clinics at the restaurant or hotel.
Professional Services & Tech
Problem: High-stress environments, mental health needs, performance optimization.
Solution: Preventive care, mental health support, executive health optimization.
Education & Nonprofits
Problem: Budget constraints, mission-driven teams, diverse workforce.
Solution: Affordable, inclusive care that demonstrates organizational values.
Small Businesses (10-50 Employees)
Problem: Cannot afford traditional health insurance or want to supplement it.
Solution: Simple, flat-rate pricing with no admin burden.
Proof Points: Local Success Stories
Little City Montessori (Philadelphia)
Industry: Education
Result: 39% activation rate within 3 months. Teachers report reduced stress and improved work-life balance. Admin time for HR reduced by 50%.
[Your Next Success Story]
Industry: Your Industry
Result: Let's write it together.
Get Started
We offer free consultations for Philadelphia employers. An honest conversation about whether this makes sense for your team.
The Process
- Warm Invitation Call (20 min): Discuss your team size, current benefits, and pain points.
- Custom Proposal: We send a detailed proposal with pricing and ROI projections.
- Pilot Program (optional): Start with a small group to prove value before scaling.
- Launch: We handle everything: enrollment, onboarding, and ongoing support.
Book Your Warm Invitation Call
Ready to Offer Healthcare That Actually Works?
Let's have a conversation about your team's needs. No obligation, just an honest discussion about whether Fishtown Medicine is the right fit.
Book Your Warm Invitation Call
Fishtown Medicine provides virtual-first and mobile clinic services throughout Greater Philadelphia. We partner with businesses of all sizes, from 10-person teams to enterprise organizations.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Questions
Ready when you are
Dr. Ash reads every intake himself, and answers questions personally - usually within a few hours.
