Curative Insurance 101: Is Curative health insurance good? A complete guide for employers and members
10 Minutes
Team Curative
Aug 19, 2026
If you've heard about a health plan with $0 copays, $0 deductibles, and no out-of-pocket costs for in-network care, you've probably had the same first reaction most people do: that can't be right.
It is. And it's worth understanding how it works before you write it off as too good to be true.
Curative is a next-generation, employer-sponsored health plan built around three ideas: affordability, engagement, and simplicity. This guide walks through exactly what Curative is, how it works, the plan and funding options available to employers, and what real members and HR teams say about the experience — so you can decide for yourself whether Curative is a good fit.
What is Curative?
Curative is an employer-sponsored health plan that removes the financial barriers most people associate with health insurance. Instead of asking members to weigh whether they can "afford" to use their benefits, Curative starts them at $0 out-of-pocket for in-network care from day one.
Core benefits include:
- $0 copays and $0 deductibles for in-network care.
- $0 preferred prescriptions, with $50/$250 copays on non-preferred prescriptions filled at in-network pharmacies.
- One competitive monthly premium — think of it like a subscription
- Multiple plan options available
- 24/7 telehealth
- Care Navigator team
- 24/7 Member Services
- An A- (Excellent) Financial Strength Rating from AM Best for four consecutive years
The plan is designed to flip the high-deductible model on its head. When cost barriers come down, members stop deferring care, small problems don't turn into big ones, and employers stop paying for preventable claims down the road.
How does curative health insurance work?
Here's the simplest way to think about it:
- Your employer offers Curative as part of their benefits package.
- You enroll during open enrollment or a qualifying life event.
- Your $0 in-network care starts on the plan's effective date — not after a waiting period, not after you "earn" it.
- You complete a Baseline Visit within 120 days to maintain that $0 in-network care for the full plan year.
- Your Care Navigator helps you find in-network providers, schedule appointments, transfer prescriptions, and manage everything in between.
That's the whole model. There's no copay roulette at the front desk, no surprise deductible to chip away at, and no separate prescription tier confusion for preferred drugs.
The Baseline Visit: The one step that keeps care at $0
The Baseline Visit is Curative's onboarding experience — and the single requirement to maintain $0 in-network care across the plan year.
Who has to complete it: All adults and adult dependents enrolled in the plan must complete a Baseline Visit. (Minor dependents are not required to complete one themselves.)
When to complete it: Within 120 days of the plan start date.
What it includes: Two parts.
- Baseline Onboarding — New members meet one-on-one with their Care Navigator over Zoom to walk through plan benefits, find in-network providers, check medication coverage, and connect to programs aligned with their health goals. Renewing members complete a self-guided online experience.
- Baseline Clinical Check-in — All members (new and renewing) meet on Zoom with a Curative clinician to review medical history, ask health questions, and build a personalized care plan.
- What it costs: Nothing. The Baseline Visit is free, confidential, and has no impact on premiums or coverage.
- Why it matters: Curative reports 98 percent Baseline Visit completion rates, and roughly 90 percent of members with chronic conditions are identified during this early engagement — before those conditions become claims. That early visibility is a big part of how the plan stays sustainable.
What plans types does Curative offer?
Curative gives employers flexibility in two directions: how the plan is funded, and how the plan is structured for members.
Plan options: EPO, PPO, and PPO Max
All three plans share the same core: $0 in-network deductibles when adults complete their Baseline Visit, $0 preferred prescriptions, a Care Navigator for every member, 24/7 virtual urgent care, and chronic condition and acute care management.
Where they differ:
- EPO — In-network only, with no out-of-network coverage. Pharmacy network includes mail order and select retail (H-E-B, Albertsons, Safeway, Publix), 30,000+ pharmacies nationwide. A strong fit for employers who want maximum cost discipline through a curated network.
- PPO — Adds out-of-network coverage ($10,000/person, $20,000/family deductible; $15,000/person, $30,000/family max out-of-pocket). Same 30,000+ pharmacy network. Includes chiropractic coverage. The most common pick for employers who want network flexibility.
- PPO Max — Curative's broadest plan. $0 out-of-network deductible, $7,500/person and $15,000/family out-of-network max out-of-pocket. Pharmacy network expands to 60,000+ pharmacies including CVS, Walgreens, and Walmart in addition to H-E-B, Albertsons, Safeway, and Publix. Includes chiropractic coverage and a fitness benefit.
If members don't complete their Baseline Visit within 120 days, the in-network deductible for that plan year becomes $5,000/person or $10,000/family across all three plans.
EPO Value: a separate, cost-conscious option
EPO Value is Curative's most cost-conscious plan and is a separate plan option from the standard EPO. Members get $0 out-of-pocket care by using a Curative Pass with a curated set of high-value providers, along with the same hallmark Curative features — many $0 prescriptions, Care Navigator support, and wellness tools. It's designed for organizations that want to keep premiums and total healthcare spend down while still offering a supportive member experience.
For the full breakdown of plan options and funding types, see the Curative plan options and funding types page.
How do you get started with Curative?
For employers: You'll work with a Curative representative or your broker to determine the right plan structure and funding type for your group, finalize enrollment, and roll out communications to your team. Curative supports employer groups with onboarding materials, employee education, and a dedicated implementation process.
If you're an employer evaluating Curative, the Curative for Employers page is the right place to start a conversation.
If you're a broker exploring Curative for clients, head to the Curative for Brokers page for appointment information and resources.
For members: Curative is offered through your employer. Once your employer selects Curative, you'll enroll during open enrollment (or your eligibility window), receive your member ID, and gain access to the member portal and Care Navigator. From there, the most important thing on your to-do list is scheduling your Baseline Visit.
How do you find in-network providers and schedule appointments?
Two paths, depending on how you like to work.
- Use the provider search tool. Curative's provider directory lets you search by name, specialty, and location to confirm in-network status before you book.
- Ask your Care Navigator. Every Curative member has a dedicated Care Navigator — a real person you can call or message for help finding providers, scheduling appointments, transferring prescriptions, or sorting out anything that feels confusing. They're the concierge layer most insurance plans simply don't have.
Many members use both: the search tool for fast lookups, and the Care Navigator for trickier situations like coordinating specialists or handling out-of-state care.
What does a Care Navigator actually do?
The Care Navigator is one of the things that most surprises new members. They aren't a call-center rep with a script — they're a single, named point of contact who follows you across your healthcare journey.
A Care Navigator can:
- Walk you through your benefits during your Baseline Visit
- Find in-network providers in your area
- Schedule appointments and follow up to confirm them
- Help transfer prescriptions to in-network pharmacies, including mail order
- Coordinate care between specialists
- Answer questions about coverage, claims, and what's $0
- Connect you to condition management or wellness programs
In Curative's national survey, 33 percent of respondents said they had trouble navigating their health insurance and 39 percent didn't know basic plan terms. The Care Navigator role exists because being told "you're covered" isn't the same as actually getting care.
Is Curative health insurance good? Here's what members and employers say
The strongest signal of whether a health plan works is what people say after they've used it. Here's a sampling from real Curative members, employers, and brokers.
From members:
"It all started with the Baseline Visit. It was thorough, informative, not rushed at all, and truly made me feel like for the first time (ever), my health insurance provider truly CARED about me."
"I would always hold off going to the doctor because of copays. Even though the copay helped, I still didn't really have the money for the copay visits, copay prescriptions, and so on. With Curative, I just realized how accessible health insurance can be."
"Curative has been super helpful, especially during flu season! They are very communicative, with calls or texts, knowledgeable, reliable, and kind! My favorite part is that they deliver my prescriptions straight to my doorstep."
"Curative has been a blessing so far for me! It has made it so much easier for me to access healthcare. I love that it is so affordable and their member portal makes it easy for me to find providers that take my insurance."
From employers and brokers:
"I have never seen an employer and its employees absolutely love a health plan. Our agency went out on a limb to try Curative for one of our large groups. I must say we were a bit apprehensive in the beginning, but I have never seen an employer and its employees absolutely love a health plan."
"The results have been phenomenal. Curative's network has allowed us to maintain our previous doctors and specialists. Curative's customer service personnel not only verifies the in-network status of the doctors, they will call them to assure the offices know how to file the paperwork properly if there are questions."
The consistent threads: members actually use their benefits, the Baseline Visit changes how people relate to their plan, and employers see engagement levels they haven't seen with traditional carriers.
Curative insurance FAQs
What makes Curative's health plan different from other plans?
Curative’s health plan is designed to prioritize affordability, engagement, and simplicity. Members who complete a Baseline Visit within 120 days of their plan start date, pay just one competitive monthly premium—similar to a subscription service—with $0 copays and $0 deductibles for in-network care. This structure makes it easier for employees to seek the care they need without worrying about out-of-pocket costs.
Additionally, we emphasize early engagement by connecting members with trusted providers and Curative Care Navigators from day one. Our goal is to foster meaningful relationships between patients and healthcare professionals, ensuring members feel supported throughout their health journey. We believe this approach leads to better health outcomes and lower medical costs for all. Curative’s affordable access to care and differentiated member experience empower employees to prioritize their health and well-being while maintaining focus on their work.
Why is the Curative health plan better than other insurance options?
Curative offers several plan options as well as level-funding and fully-insured options. Your employer might provide a choice between these options or just one of them. Regardless, Curative aims to simplify the process of choosing a suitable plan. All Curative plans bring copays and deductibles for in-network care and preferred prescriptions down to $0 as long as a Baseline Visit is completed within 120 days of plan effective date. This ensures that essential care isn't delayed due to financial concerns or confusion about what's covered, alleviating the stress of potential medical debt. Not all health insurance products cover preventive health services, and new rulings could soon lower the threshold for preventive care coverage. But as a Curative member, you can rest assured you’ll have access to high-quality in-network care that prioritizes preventive health — no matter which plan you choose.
The bottom line
Curative is a health plan built on a simple bet: when care is genuinely affordable, easy to navigate, and supported by a real person, members engage earlier, stay healthier, and cost less to insure over time. The Baseline Visit is the engine that makes the model work — it's how members understand their benefits, find their providers, and start their year on the right foot.
If you're an employer evaluating whether Curative is right for your team, talk to a representative on the Curative for Employers page.
If you're a broker, visit the Curative for Brokers page to learn about appointment, training, and resources.
If you're a member or potential member, check whether your doctors are in-network using the provider search tool, and if you're already enrolled, schedule your Baseline Visit so your $0 care stays in place all year.
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Table of Contents
What is Curative?
How does curative health insurance work?
The Baseline Visit: The one step that keeps care at $0
What plans types does Curative offer?
How do you get started with Curative?
How do you find in-network providers and schedule appointments?
What does a Care Navigator actually do?
Is Curative health insurance good? Here's what members and employers say
Curative insurance FAQs
The bottom line
