We are currently exploring two main revenue generation strategies for digitalCross. Firstly, the public funding model, which would generate revenue from the Krankenkasse to ensure the stable and equal treatment of all patients. Our goal with this revenue model would be to ensure maximum adoption among the German population. We would partner with current services providing doctor consultations over video and focus on enabling as many patients as possible to opt for a video consultation. This would minimize the cost of infectious diseases to society as a whole because it would limit the general population’s interaction with infectious patients. Immune-compromised people, who may cost the Krankenkasse a disproportionally high amount if infected, would also be less at risk, lowering overall health costs. Since the kickstart for this project came from the Bundesgesundheitsministerium, we consider this a viable model that aims to maximize the value to society.
Secondly, there is a fully private revenue model. This would again involve partnering with current services providing video-consultations between patients and doctors, as it is not within the scope of digitalCross to employ and manage healthcare professionals. This model would likely see limited (if any) revenue from Krankenkassepatienten and would have to recover this lost revenue by selling additional services or promotions to patients and service providers. Selling promotions to service providers would potentially include charging doctors and clinics per patient assigned to them, but there are several problems with this. Firstly, the patient is unlikely to be assigned to the most practical (for them) clinic or physician, but instead to one who paid for promotion within digitalCross. This could potentially hurt digitalCross’ credibility and adoption.
Selling additional services to patients would likely be the most accepted way of generating revenue. German patients are used to a two-tiered system, where one can pay for more rapid access and better flexibility within the healthcare sector. Prioritizing higher paying (or privately insured) patients within the video-consultation queuing system, or charging additional fees for video-consultations outside of normal business hours would be the most transparent way for digitalCross to generate revenue without incurring costs additional to the development and operation of the core service.
A hybrid model is also a possibility and would have to be explored based on funding scenarios.
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