First Stop Health Joins the ParetoHealth Ecosystem, Expanding Access to Virtual Primary Care for Small and Mid-Market Employers

New collaboration helps businesses with 50+ employees close critical primary care gaps

PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 3, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — ParetoHealth announces that First Stop Health, a connected, whole-person virtual care company, will be available to Members through the ParetoHealth Savings Engine. This collaboration expands access to virtual primary care to more than 4,000 employers and 1.3 million people, helping to close critical access gaps in primary care.

“More than 75 million Americans live in areas with primary care shortages, this often leads to delayed diagnoses and poor outcomes,” said Kevin Kickhaefer, Chief Revenue Officer at ParetoHealth. “The scale of the Pareto community enables us to offer First Stop Health to our Members, close critical primary care gaps, and help employers manage costs more effectively.”

The addition of First Stop Health further strengthens ParetoHealth’s Savings Engine, which helps employers reduce costs by addressing the root causes of high-dollar claims. Powered by data, analytics, and in-house clinical experts, the Savings Engine delivers programs and multi-year strategies to lower costs. A multi-year claims-based study found that employers who moved from fully insured plans to Pareto reduced healthcare costs by 7.5% in the first year and by an additional 16.5% annually by year three.

First Stop Health provides 24/7 virtual primary care, offering preventive care, urgent care, chronic care management, steerage, and integrated mental health. First Stop Health offers Pareto Members preferential pricing terms and a performance guarantee tied to employee utilization. First Stop Health also puts 100% of their fees at risk, removing financial uncertainty for employers.

The Pareto and First Stop Health collaboration offers midsize employers and their employees:

• Affordable care: Unlimited virtual primary care and urgent care visits at no cost to the patient. These virtual visits do not incur claims.
• Fast and easy access to providers: Urgent care visits are available in less than five minutes, and primary and mental health appointments are available in three days or less.
• Impactful outcomes: Employers saved an average of $1,100 per-in-network referral. 80% of patients saw improvement in blood pressure and glucose levels in just three to five sessions with no medication. Primary care referrals into health coaching and dietician support led to a 6% average weight loss.

“ParetoHealth shares our belief that healthcare should be accountable, transparent, and deeply human, whether it’s through whole-person virtual care or purpose-built design,” said Elena Gambon, Chief Growth and Strategy Officer at First Stop Health. “By combining our guaranteed performance model with ParetoHealth’s data-driven approach, we’re helping employers manage costs, while giving their employees easy access to urgent care, primary care, and mental health services all in one place.”

ABOUT PARETOHEALTH
Traditional health insurance is failing small and midsize employers. ParetoHealth unites employers with 50-1,000 employees into one strong, like-minded community that unlocks a better way to eliminate volatility and lower overall health benefits costs. More than 4,000 employers have joined Pareto on the right side of the fight, representing over 1.3 million covered lives and $8.4 billion in healthcare spend under management. Learn more at paretohealth.com.

ABOUT FIRST STOP HEALTH 
On a mission to deliver affordable, delightful healthcare for all, First Stop Health provides connected, whole-person virtual care to employers 24/7 through app, website, or phone in all 50 states. First Stop Health prioritizes an engaging and easy-to-use experience, setting people on healthier journeys through care at multiple stages. Patients can access a licensed telemedicine doctor in minutes for urgent and on-demand needs and can schedule appointments with experienced providers for mental healthcare, chronic care, and preventive care. First Stop Health’s flexible and turnkey solutions give mid-sized employers an affordable and meaningful benefit for their workforce. First Stop Health has been named one of Inc. Magazine’s Best Workplaces from 2022-2025 and has ranked among the fastest-growing private companies for eight consecutive years.  

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SOURCE ParetoHealth