Dipti Gore
hCentive provides cloud-based, healthcare technology solutions that help consumers & businesses connect, communicate and engage with health plans in an undemanding and informed manner when acquiring health insurance.hCentive is the first company to build an exchange solution from the ground-up post Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). They have a deep understanding of the health insurance market and have created solutions and services that align with federal and state regulations and meet or exceed industry standards.
Their expertise in the healthcare market combined with experienced leadership provides a distinctive advantage to their customers.hCentive offers its world class solutions to some of the big names in the industry such as HCL, Cognizant, Health Alliance, Alliant, Colorado health benefit exchange, Wellpoint, CGI etc.
In an interview with Techstory.in, Mr. Manish Garg, Head of India Operations, hCentive, gives us an overview of hCentive’s global business and talks about the company’s expansion plans in India and how the company policies will aid their expansion efforts.He has 15 years of experience in the Information Technology space and is currently heading HR, Workforce Management & Planning, Hiring, administration and IT support for hCentive’s India development center.
What is the overview of hCentive business abroad and in India?
hCentive is in the business of health insurance marketplace technology that meets the demands created by Affordable Care Act in the U.S. We have created marketplaces for the states of Kentucky, Colorado, and Massachusetts, and we are one of the leading partners in federally managed health insurance marketplace for small businesses. While our business is focused for the U.S. market, we have our research and development center in Noida, UP.
What are your latest products / solutions that hCentive offers to its customers?
Our products and solutions are driven by the need of the market. Here is a glimpse into our top performing products. WebInsure State – A complete health insurance marketplace, the WebInsure State is designed to give a unique, guided shopping experience to customers looking for Obamacare health plans. Kentucky, Massachusetts, and Colorado are some of the states using our product. WebInsure Financial Management – WebInsure Financial Management is a product designed to meet the new market challenges in finance. It is a complete solution for billing and reconciliation needs in the reformed health market. WebInsure Private Exchange – A complete marketplace designed for private owners, WebInsure Private Exchange is designed for brokers, TPAs, and health plans who wish to have their own exchange for customers. WebInsure Exchange Manager – Designed to help states connect with exchanges, WebInsure Exchange Manager takes care of data exchange and the required variables while connecting a state to the federal exchange. Currently, 50 of 52 states are employing this product.
“hCentive plans on investing $100 million in India in terms of talent or infrastructure in the next 3- 5 years”, could you highlight hCentive investments in India.
As our research and development destination, our Indian office will see investments of the order of $100 million for meeting the talent needs that are driven by our growing business. We are committed to hiring the top talent at the best possible remunerations in the IT industry. To support our explosive growth, we are also investing in scaling the infrastructure and facilities at our R&D center in India.
How do you plan to expand hCentive’s workforce in India and what are the major challenges you may face for it?
As we become a leading entity in health insurance technology market in US, we plan on cultivating our talent pool in India to complement our business needs. We will be looking at product specialists, software engineers with relevant experience, and business analysts that have worked in this domain. We feel that the Indian IT market still does not have people with relevant experience, required trainings, and exposure to the workings of software dedicated to the health insurance market. This skill gap in domain understanding and knowledge is our biggest challenge while recruiting talent.
According to you what are the best practices and unique HR policies at hCentive?
We have a highly evolved reward system that enables us to appreciate employees at every rung of the ladder. Other than monthly and quarterly awards for outstanding performers, we have an Annual Founder’s award that recognizes top performers of the year. We also have a Quarterly Team Award for best performing teams every quarter. For employees with exceptional talents, we have an internal mentoring program, named HIVE. Under HIVE, select performers are trained by the top management for leadership roles in the long run. Other than these practices, we have some unique policies. Under our internet card policy, instead of limiting internet cards to few individuals, we have the policy to provide internet cards to all employees. Our health insurance policy is the most comprehensive in the industry. We have company sponsored health insurance for all employees, including their dependents as well as their parents. We also provide Group Personal Accident insurance and Group Term Life insurance for all employees.
How does hCentive perceive Corporate Social Responsibility?
In our endeavor to become a better corporate, we have inculcated CSR in our regular activities. Catalyst, hCentive’s dedicated CSR wing, is connected with an orphanage, named Mala Smriti Homes; an animal welfare society, named SPCA; and an old age home. Other than donations to these concerns, we also visit them or invite them over for activities, such as Diwali Mela celebrations.