Who is this course for?

This course is best for founders and commercial leaders who are actively selling, or preparing to sell, to U.S. health plans. It is especially valuable if you have had payer meetings, pilots, or innovation conversations but feel unclear on why progress stalls or how to move deals forward.

What stage company is this designed for?

Most participants are early to growth-stage digital health companies. You do not need an existing payer contract to benefit, but the course is most valuable if payer sales are a near-term priority rather than a distant future goal.

How is this different from other content about selling to payers?

Most content explains what payers care about at a surface level. This course focuses on how those priorities translate into real decisions, tradeoffs, and internal evaluation processes. It is designed to give you pattern recognition and judgment that usually comes only from repeated exposure to payer deals.

What will I actually walk away with?

By the end of this class, you will understand how payer teams evaluate solutions, decide what moves forward, and why many vendors stall despite early interest. You'll be able to tie your solution's value to key payer priorities, and increase chances of securing a payer contract.

How to Sell Digital Health Solutions to U.S. Payers

Selling Digital Health Solutions to Payers

Build a payer sales approach grounded in how health plans actually evaluate solutions.

Selling to payers is not traditional enterprise sales. It requires understanding how health plans assess value, manage risk, and decide what gets funded, often through processes that are opaque to early-stage teams.

This master class, led by Akros experts Demi Radeva and Steve Weissblum, is designed for founders and GTM leaders who want a clearer view into payer decision-making and a more disciplined, realistic approach to commercialization.

$1,250 - ENROLL NOW

3 Modules

Learn the fundamentals of selling to payers

Experience Level

Designed for early-stage founding teams planning to sell to payers in 6-12 months

Completion Time

Complete entire course in approximately 4 Hours (activity time not included)

Flexible Pace

Go through each module on-demand, at your own pace

About

This course offers direct insight into payer perspectives and priorities, including:

How different payer types evaluate value and ROI

What makes pilots succeed, stall, or end

How to align your solution with payer goals and constraints

Where teams most often misalign pricing, evidence, and messaging

The focus is not on selling tactics alone, but on building a payer-informed commercialization foundation.

Across 3 modules, you'll learn how to tie
your solution's value to real payer priorities.

Module I: Intro to the U.S. Healthcare System

Understand Your Business and Competition

Learn how to conduct a comprehensive competitive analysis to identify your strengths and weaknesses.

Identify the Right Payers

Learn about various payer types—employers, health plans, platform partners—and tailor your approach accordingly.

Case Study

Explore how UnitedHealth Group transformed pharmacy care services and set growth priorities to inform your own strategy.

1.5 Hour Video

Conducting A Competitive Analysis Spreadsheet Guide

Module II: Sales – Navigate the Sales Process

Develop Your Ideal Customer Profile

Define your target organization and buyer persona for effective outreach.

Create a Strategic Sales Plan

Learn how to set revenue targets, milestones, and actionable steps that align your team’s efforts.

Engagement Techniques

Discover key engagement strategies that resonate with payers and lead to successful partnerships.

45 Min Video

Defining Your Sales Process Spreadsheet Guide

Module III: Post-Sales – Ensure Long-Term Success

Strategic Positioning

Understand the value of your solution and how it aligns with payer goals.

Pilot Management

Learn how to structure and manage pilot programs effectively, ensuring measurable success.

Forecasting & Strategic Planning

Equip yourself with tools to determine rates, reimbursements, and project future growth.

36 Min Video

Writing Effective One-Pager Copy PPT Template

Why This Master Class Exists

Many digital health solutions struggle with payers not because they lack value, but because that value is never framed in payer terms. Misalignment around evidence, pricing, and incentives often leads to stalled pilots and prolonged sales cycles.

This master class helps teams:

I

Diagnose

Reduce stalled pilots and unproductive cycles.

II

Strategize

Enter payer conversations better prepared.

III

Execute

Build credibility earlier in the payer process.

IV

Scale

Create a foundation for repeatable payer engagement.

ENROLL NOW

"The experts have turned their decades of experience into an enlightening course that saved me months, if not years, of stumbling my way to success."

Andrew DeLeeuw IV, MBA, President & CEO of DOCSI

Meet The Experts

Demi Radeva, MSc

Former Director of Strategy & Business Development, UnitedHealthcare

Demi brings a decade of payer-side experience across strategy, innovation, and commercialization. Her work focuses on helping digital health companies align with real payer decision criteria and navigate complex GTM pathways.

Decade in Strategy, Innovation, Consulting and Business Development
Mentor of the Year, Techstars
UnitedHealthcare Accelerator
Adjunct Professor, Medical Industry Leadership Institute
Business Advisor, University of Minnesota Venture Center
Mentor, Minnesota Cup (MN Cup), Former Co-Founder, Digital Health Tech Company (Social Care + Onco)

BSc, Finance & International Business

MSc, International Health Policy, London School of Economics

Executive Education, Innovation & Entrepreneurship, Stanford

Steve Weissblum

Former CRO | Entrepreneur | Healthcare Sales Advisor

Steve has over 25 years of experience in healthcare services and digital health sales, including leadership roles as a CRO and advisor to growth-stage companies. His expertise spans payer engagement, sales execution, and commercialization strategy.

25+ years in healthcare service and digital health sales
2x Chief Revenue Officer and Entrepreneur
Techstars All-Star Mentor and Mentor in residence
Advisory Board Member and Consultant

MBA, Entrepreneurial Finance, Columbia Business School

BA, Media Arts, University of Arizona