Papa

Papa is a Miami-based company that operates a nationwide network of vetted, non-clinical companions called Papa Pals who provide in-home and telephonic support to older adults, other underserved populations, and families. Services include companionship, help with everyday tasks such as light housekeeping, laundry, meal prep and organization, errands and grocery or medication pickup, transportation to appointments, pet assistance, technology support, and help with children. Papa Pals are explicitly not clinical caregivers: no prior health care experience is required, and visits do not involve administering medication or hands-on physical care.

The offering is sold mainly as a benefit through health plans and employers. Papa serves Medicare Advantage, Medicaid and Special Needs Plan populations, and offers a whole-family benefit for employers aimed at supporting working caregivers. Beyond core companion care, Papa markets modular programs that can be added or purchased standalone: post-discharge support, care gap closure, digital enablement (helping members use portals, telehealth and benefit apps), Health Risk Assessment completion, and fall risk prevention via in-home Home Safety Assessments. These are unified under Papa Plus, which combines the Pal network with structured 'engagement pathways' and an at-risk pricing guarantee.

Papa positions itself as creating a new category of 'companionship care' addressing social determinants of health and loneliness. Company-cited studies report a 14% reduction in all-cause readmissions versus a matched cohort, a 6% higher composite Stars 'Managing Chronic Conditions' care gap closure rate versus a matched control group, and a 19% increase in primary care visits among high-risk members (2022 claims analyses and health plan study).

Founding story

Papa's founding is attributed to CEO Andrew Parker's family experience balancing daily obligations with support for his grandfather Joseph, whom the family called 'Papa.' Parker concluded his grandfather primarily needed a 'pal' for company and occasional help, and the company was founded on that premise in 2017. Parker had previously worked at MDLIVE from 2011, leaving in 2017 to focus on Papa full time. Alfredo Vaamonde is identified as a co-founder and now serves as a director on Papa's board.

Business model

Papa contracts primarily with organizations rather than individuals: health plans (Medicare Advantage, Medicaid, Special Needs Plans) and employers purchase Papa as a covered benefit for their members or employees, who then schedule visits at no direct cost through eligibility verification. Papa recruits, vets and pays a distributed network of part-time Papa Pals, who are paid a base rate of $13-$18 per hour plus bonuses and one-way commute mileage, averaging about $22 per hour. Papa's site notes it presently does not provide services directly to individual consumers for its health plan products, though a direct sign-up path at get.papa.com is referenced for individuals outside participating plans. For its Papa Plus quality layer, the company offers an at-risk pricing model, the 'Papa Promise,' that ties fees to guaranteed ROI on specific program outcomes.

Revenue derives from contracts with health plans, health systems and employers that make Papa available as a covered benefit; specific pricing is not disclosed in the sources. Papa Plus adds an outcomes-based, at-risk pricing component (the Papa Promise) that guarantees ROI tied to specific quality program results. Papa states it does not currently sell services directly to individual consumers through its health plan channel.

Traction

Company-reported traction includes more than 3 million cumulative visits across over 10,000 cities, thousands of active Papa Pals, and a team size of 500. As of November 2021, Papa was available to over 65 health plans (up more than 25 in seven months), served all 50 states, reported a Papa Pal visit starting on average every two minutes, and expected 26 additional health plans to begin January 1. At that time roughly 65% of visits were in person, the average Pal was 30 years old and about 20% were college students in nursing, premed or social work programs, and Papa reported identifying 10,000 member care gaps in a single quarter.

Latest developments

Papa's current site (copyright 2026) foregrounds Papa Plus, which unifies companion care with plan-directed quality programs and is described as built on learnings from more than 3 million visits. The company also publicizes an inaugural transparency report on safety and trust, and additional standalone programs including post-discharge support, care gap closure, digital enablement, Health Risk Assessment completion and fall risk prevention. Leadership listed includes Andrew Parker (Founder and CEO), Dani Bchara (President), Dr. Thomas Carlough (CTO), Austin Weaver (Chief Commercial Officer), Erich Gazaui (CIO), and a board including directors from SoftBank, Canaan Partners, Mastry and Vida Health.