Industry veteran aims to make understanding insurance easier

After 20 years of wearing multiple hats in the healthcare industry — including nearly a decade leading product development at Anthem — Sally Poblete wanted to act on her true passion: making healthcare and insurance simpler.

That’s why in 2013 she founded Wellthie, a healthcare technology company that offers a comprehensive software and analytics platform to help employees understand their health insurance options and bottom line costs in a simple way with the help of their brokers.

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“Employer expectations of the insurance ecosystem have shifted dramatically,” says Poblete, Wellthie’s founder and CEO. “Industries like financial services, travel and hospitality have permanently adjusted the way employers conduct business and interact with advisers to a digital model, where simplicity and efficiency in new technologies are the key innovations. The ability to respond to employer demands for easier ways of doing business is a massive opportunity for the insurance industry.”

In particular, Wellthie offers broker and comparison shopping tools that simplify insurance distribution and optimize choices for small businesses and individuals.

Those tools, Poblete says, are vital as the insurance industry continues to undergo massive change, increasing the need for easy-to-understand digital options. For her efforts, Poblete received a 2017 EBN Benefits Technology Innovator Award, which recognizes visionaries who are driving technology innovation in the employee benefits space.

Wellthie continues to grow. Last year, the company — which has 20 employees — launched the “Affordable Care Advisor for Business,” which gives brokers an online storefront to sell faster and more efficiently while simultaneously expanding market opportunities with small businesses that previously considered coverage out of reach.

With that “innovative solution,” Poblete says, “small businesses get the insight, advice and support they need. At the same time, brokers can upgrade outdated tools with a fast and modern way to expand their market reach.”

And, last month, Wellthie landed $5 million in Series A funding, led by IA Capital Group, with additional investors including the Aflac Corporate Venture Fund. Wellthie says it will use the funds to accelerate its nationwide growth and product development.

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