5-HT success story: BIG direkt gesund and Prosoma launch collaboration for the benefit of cancer patients

How an event laid the foundations for a successful partnership

A special partnership will be launched on April 1, 2025: health insurance company BIG direkt gesund and healthcare startup Prosoma are joining forces to offer the Living Well Plus digital care program for cancer patients. But how did this collaboration come about?

The decisive impetus came from the 5-HT event “Insuring Digital Health” (IDH) in October 2024, where Jill Hültenschmidt, Care Manager, and Christiane Heidrich, Team Leader Managed Care, both at BIG direkt gesund, and Pavle Lederer, Head of Business Development at Prosoma, got talking.

“We got to know Prosoma at the event, especially Pavle, and then had a good conversation during the speed dating sessions,” reports Jill Hültenschmidt. “They really caught our attention because of the shortage of specialists in the field - and that their solution for cancer patients is something that could also appeal to our policyholders.”

Pavle Lederer adds: “It was a really great thing, a great event to get in touch with the health insurance companies and to actually speak face-to-face with the respective decision-makers.”

But what makes this partnership so special? How did the contract negotiations go? And what role did 5-HT play as an enabler of this innovative solution?

Christiane Heidrich (left) and Jill Hültenschmidt (right) from BIG direkt gesund at speed dating during the 5-HT Insuring Digital Health event in October 2024

From getting to know each other at “Insuring Digital Health” to concrete collaboration

The IDH event in October 2024 was the catalyst for the collaboration. BIG direkt gesund already knew Prosoma, but it was the personal exchange that led to a concrete decision.

“We already knew that Prosoma could provide gender-sensitive care - which is particularly important in an area as sensitive as cancer,” explains Jill Hültenschmidt. “But it was only during the pitch that we realized how well thought-out the concept is: it's not just an app, but a hybrid care model with telecoaching and a duration of twelve months - in contrast to DiGAs, which can often only be used for 90 days.”

The event was followed by intensive discussions and a quick contract design. “We made appointments every time, exchanged documents and quickly came to a consensus,” says Pavle Lederer. “BIG is very structured and goal-oriented - the collaboration in the run-up was very positive.”

In fact, the process was unusually quick by health insurance standards. “Normally, a Section 140a contract takes longer, but we managed to implement everything by April 1, 2025,” says Hültenschmidt.

Pavle Lederer from Prosoma at 5-HT Insuring Digital Health event in October 2024 in Mannheim

What makes Living Well Plus so unique

Prosoma's Living Well Plus solution closes a crucial gap in care:

1. Hybrid care: The combination of a digital app and human support from psycho-oncologists is unique to date.

2. 12-month duration: patients receive support for significantly longer than with many other digital health applications

3. Gender-sensitive content: The app offers separate content for men and women - an important factor in psycho-oncological care.

4. Low-threshold access: No prescription required, no long waiting times - patients can register directly.

“We are the only solution that offers hybrid care with psycho-oncological support,” emphasizes Lederer. “And the feedback from users confirms this: the retention rate after four weeks is almost 80% - that's exceptionally high.”

Prosomas Living Well Plus App

Why BIG direkt gesund relies on Prosoma

For BIG direkt gesund, holistic care was the key factor. “It's about the gap in psycho-oncologists,” explains Hültenschmidt. "Many patients wait months for an appointment. With Prosoma, we can offer fast, location-independent help - for all types of cancer."

Another plus point: working together as equals. “Sometimes providers are not aware of all the things we have to consider as a health insurance company,” says Hültenschmidt. “But it was different with Prosoma - they understood our processes and we developed a solution together.”

The role of 5-HT: from matchmaking to successful implementation

Both BIG direkt gesund and Prosoma consider the IDH event to be a key success factor.

“The format is perfect for talking about solutions on a truly individual basis - not just on a large scale,” says Lederer. “For start-ups like us, that's worth its weight in gold.”

Hültenschmidt adds: "The event gets the best out of a day. It's much easier to get into conversation than at trade fairs - and you not only meet start-ups, but also other health insurance companies with whom you can exchange ideas."

Outlook: A milestone for digital healthcare

From April 1, 2025, BIG policyholders will be able to use Living Well Plus - a major step forward in digital psycho-oncology.

“We are delighted that we have found a strong partner in Prosoma to provide our policyholders with optimal support in a difficult phase of their lives,” summarizes Hültenschmidt.

And Pavle Lederer adds: "This partnership shows how important formats like Insuring Digital Health are. Without 5-HT, we might not have found this path so quickly."

Conclusion: Innovation requires networking

The collaboration between BIG direkt gesund and Prosoma proves that Digital health solutions develop their full potential when health insurance companies and start-ups work together. And this is exactly where 5-HT comes in - as a platform that makes such partnerships possible.

We are proud to have been part of this success and look forward to many more innovative collaborations!

More information:

• www.big-direkt.de

• www.prosoma.com