Paytient

Health payment accounts to pay medical bills over time

Our take

Paytient created the Health Payment Account (HPA), an employer- or plan-sponsored benefit that lets members pay for medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, and even veterinary expenses over time with no interest, fees, or credit checks. Members swipe a Paytient card at the point of care and then choose a repayment schedule, while the sponsor pays Paytient a fee to offer the benefit. Founded in 2018 by Brian Whorley, a former hospital executive, and headquartered in Columbia, Missouri, the company positions the HPA as the affordability complement to high-deductible plans, HSAs, and ICHRA designs.

Paytient raised a $40.5M Series B in January 2023 led by Mercato Partners Traverse Fund with Bertelsmann Investments participating, bringing total funding to about $63M, and added a $40M credit facility from Trinity Capital in June 2025. It counts roughly 700 enterprise partners, including Centene, Cigna, Coupe Health, Beta Health, and R.R. Donnelley, with hundreds of thousands of members using the accounts. For an employer or plan, the evaluation is straightforward: it will not cut the price of care, but it gives members a financed path to pay for it without the collections and bad-debt spiral, and the sponsor foots a predictable fee.

What it does

Health Payment Account card usable at point of care
Interest-free repayment plans members set themselves
No fees or credit checks for members
Covers medical, dental, vision, pharmacy, and vet expenses
Sponsor dashboard and utilization reporting

Where it's strong

Members get a way to afford care without interest-bearing debt, which supports plan designs with higher deductibles.
Sponsor-paid model means employees pay nothing to use it, driving adoption.
Proven with large sponsors: 700 enterprise partners including Centene and Cigna.

What buyers should weigh

The sponsor pays the fees, so ROI depends on measurable gains in care access, retention, or plan migration.
It smooths bills rather than lowering them; it does not address underlying prices or billing errors.
Value is limited for populations with low deductibles or minimal out-of-pocket exposure.

Latest

Secured $40M in growth financing from Trinity Capital in June 2025 to expand its healthcare cost-smoothing products.