Apree Health's New CEO Unveils Strategic Shift, Emphasizing Digital Roots and Expanded Partnerships

Apree Health, the advanced primary care and technology company formed by the merger of Castlight Health and Vera Whole Health in 2022, has appointed Jon Porter as its new CEO. Porter, who took the helm on January 1, 2025, brings a wealth of experience from his time at Deloitte, athenahealth, and Bright Health. In an exclusive interview with Fierce Healthcare, Porter outlined his vision for Apree Health, emphasizing a return to the company's digital navigation roots and a deconstruction of its advanced primary care model.

Refocusing on Digital Navigation and Castlight Brand

Porter's strategy involves reinvigorating the Castlight side of the business, which he believes was neglected in the aftermath of the merger. "We pivoted too heavily to primary care and kind of alienated our Castlight clients," Porter explained. The company plans to relaunch the Castlight brand within the next 30 days, aiming to create a more balanced approach that leverages both the digital navigation capabilities of Castlight and the advanced primary care model of Vera Whole Health.

This renewed focus on Castlight is expected to address engagement challenges, particularly for younger demographics who may be less inclined to engage with traditional primary care services. Porter envisions Apree as a parent brand, similar to Alphabet's relationship with Google, allowing both Castlight and Vera Whole Health to thrive independently while benefiting from shared resources and clientele.

Deconstructing Advanced Primary Care

A key component of Porter's strategy is the deconstruction of Apree's advanced primary care model into more accessible components. This approach aims to make it easier for clients to adopt specific elements of advanced primary care, such as virtual urgent care or virtual behavioral health, without committing to a full primary care model.

"We're actually deconstructing the advanced primary care model into its component parts, and trying to figure out how to make it easier to adopt parts of advanced primary care," Porter stated. This modular approach is designed to cater to a broader range of consumer needs and preferences, potentially increasing engagement across different age groups and health profiles.

Expanding Partnerships and Technological Innovations

Apree Health is also focusing on expanding its network through partnerships with providers and technology companies. The company is developing relationships with healthcare providers across multiple states, including Connecticut, Georgia, and Michigan, to make them "benefit aware" and able to leverage Apree's platform.

On the technology front, Apree is investing in several innovative features:

1. Enhanced rewards and incentives system with a focus on gamification
2. A conversational user interface allowing members to easily understand their benefits through voice or text interactions
3. Tighter integrations with partners to cover a comprehensive range of employer and health plan needs

Porter emphasized the company's commitment to being an aggregator in the healthcare space, stating, "We believe in order to actually fundamentally change healthcare, we can't need to own any of it." This philosophy extends to working with potential competitors to deliver better outcomes for shared clients.

As Apree Health embarks on this strategic shift under Porter's leadership, the company aims to balance its digital and primary care offerings, expand its partnership network, and innovate in ways that make healthcare navigation and engagement more accessible to all members.