Even Healthcare bets on outcome-linked care, plans 25 hospitals in 3 years

Even Healthcare, a Bengaluru-based health tech company, is working on a care model that moves away from India’s traditional fee-for-service approach, which often places patients, providers and payers in misaligned roles. The company, which is set to launch its hospital in Bengaluru, aims to open 25 more facilities over the next three years, anchored in a model that prioritises prevention, continuity of care, and patient outcomes.
 
“The prevailing healthcare structure incentivises volume—consultations, tests and procedures—rather than better outcomes. In the fee-for-service model, patients avoid visits due to cost, providers are incentivised to do more, and payers struggle to keep control. It puts everyone at odds,” Matilde Giglio, Co-founder and Chief Operating Officer at Even says. “Even is trying to realign this by building an integrated system where the focus is on staying healthy rather than simply seeking treatment when something goes wrong,” Giglio says.
 
Even employs salaried in-house doctors who are not paid per consultation or surgery. The aim, Giglio says, is to ensure that care is directed at achieving the best outcome for the patient rather than at increasing the number of interventions. Clinical protocols are designed to catch issues early, avoid unnecessary admissions, and support post-operative recovery.
 
The hospital in Bengaluru follows this approach, with doctors working on fixed salaries and measured on clinical outcomes rather than procedure volumes. “The idea is not just to treat illness, but to help people stay well and avoid avoidable hospitalisation altogether,” Giglio adds.
 
To reach a wider population, the company recently launched Even Care Connect, a free helpline for surgical advice. Based in Bengaluru, the service provides access to Even’s medical team, offering guidance on treatment decisions regardless of whether the caller is a registered member. “We don’t work on commissions, and there’s no financial incentive tied to recommending procedures,” Giglio says.
 
On the question of balancing affordability with quality, Giglio explains that Even’s model reduces costs by limiting unnecessary treatment. The company works with diagnostic labs and scan centres to offer fixed rates and discounted prices. “We’re able to pass on savings directly to patients. For example, tests booked through us can cost up to 50 per cent less than market rates,” she says. Some of the app’s basic services, such as teleconsultations and home tests, are available at no cost, giving new users the option to experience the service before opting for a paid plan.
 
One area of focus for Even is post-surgical care, which is often limited to a few follow-ups in conventional settings. Giglio cites a case involving a patient who underwent a routine IUD insertion and had underlying conditions including diabetes and hypertension. About three weeks after the procedure, the patient developed ulcers unrelated to the surgery. Even’s triage system flagged the issue early, and the patient was treated promptly. “It shows how people with comorbidities can develop complications outside the immediate area of treatment. We monitored the patient beyond the typical discharge period and 
helped avoid a more serious problem,” she says.
 
Over the next two to three years, Even intends to scale its physical and digital presence, while continuing to refine its proactive care approach. The company’s goal is to strengthen continuity of care and make access to medical advice more reliable.
 
Giglio acknowledges that changing healthcare behaviour in India is not easy. “The system is designed for reactive care. People often wait until they’re unwell to seek help or rely on generic health packages that may not meet their actual needs,” she says. Even is trying to offer a guided path, led by clinicians, that simplifies decision-making for users. “Whether it’s what kind of test to take, or whether surgery is needed, we want to be a single source of trusted medical advice,” she adds.
 
Improving access to services at a reasonable cost is one factor that may gradually shift behaviour. “People are used to navigating the system themselves, often through trial and error. If they can access guidance from someone they trust, their entire health journey changes,” Giglio notes.
 
She adds that while the private sector has a role to play, public programmes like Ayushman Bharat and the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Non-Communicable Diseases are also contributing to a wider awareness of the need for preventive care. “Progress will take time. But if the system, both public and private, invests in continuity and coordination, the outcomes can improve across the board,” she says.
 
Even’s next phase will test whether a managed care model, centred on salaried doctors and integrated protocols, can find wider acceptance in a market long dominated by fragmented, transaction-driven healthcare.