Private clinics set their sights on VMI

Alexey Remez, the founder of the Unim digital medical laboratory, has stepped down as its head and is launching his own network of outpatient clinics, designed to work under supplementary medical insurance (VHI) programs. It is planned to open up to 500 clinics within five years. The private medicine market is now highly competitive, and the departure of large international companies that paid for their employees’ medical care will lead to a reduction in this segment, experts warn.

The entrepreneur himself told Kommersant that the founder of Unim, Aleksey Remez, is launching a network of small outpatient clinics focused on VHI. The first clinic of the new startup Reztom opened in the Skolkovo technopark, about $200,000 was invested in it from its own funds.

Mr. Remez stepped down as CEO of Unim last week, but remains on the board of directors. In August this year, Unim was acquired by Samvel Karapetyan’s Tashir Medica. In the company, the founder of Unim had 36.8% at that time.

The Reztom concept involves the opening of clinics with an area of ​​60-150 square meters. m, designed for corporate medical care. An agreement on the provision of VHI services will be concluded with interested companies, Mr. Remez said. A medical information system has been developed for the network, in which doctors work.

This expands the possibilities of telemedicine, Alexey Remez notes. According to him, during a standard appointment with a therapist, you can perform diagnostics, for example, for a dermatologist and discuss the results in an interdisciplinary consultation mode through the system. Usually the therapist redirects to a narrow specialist, but the patient does not reach him in 70% of cases, he adds. “In addition, the software monitors the patient’s compliance with the doctor’s recommendations and his condition,” adds the founder of Reztom.

In total, according to him, it is planned to open up to 500 such clinics in three to five years, negotiations are underway with other companies interested in the project. So far, Mr. Remez is the sole owner of Reztom LLC, but he plans to attract investors for a minority stake worth $2 million. Among the interested investors, he names two individuals and five organizations, including three funds with experience in investing in medical start-ups and an insurance company.

Voluntary medical insurance turned out to be the fastest growing type of insurance in the second quarter. VHI contributions for April-June, according to the Central Bank, increased by 16.8% year-on-year, the volume of premiums reached 47 billion rubles. The Central Bank explains the growth by expanding demand and increasing the cost of insurance programs due to higher prices for medical goods and services. The client base has been expanded, including through the corporate segment.

At the same time, many international corporations that used VHI for their employees announced their departure from Russia, recalls Alexander Abdin, co-owner of Euromed Clinic. It was they who were known for their attention to their staff, good compensation packages, including VHI, he points out.

At the same time, the private medicine market is highly competitive, experts say. “I don’t see any obvious niches in private medicine to take a significant share there,” says Alexey Krivoshapko, director of Prosperity Capital Management. There is no uniqueness in the Reztom project, Alexander Abdin is sure. Similar start-up projects in the US, such as Kaiser Permanente, have failed, he points out. According to him, for a full-fledged diagnosis, including MRI and CT, a doctor needs heavy medical equipment in any case. On the contrary, DSM Group CEO Sergey Shulyak points out that people in general now prefer convenience in service and are increasingly choosing clinics near their homes or work.

Polina Gritsenko