Introducing Chanddeep Madaan, the Founder and CEO of Aya Care, Canada’s leading healthcare spending account and wellness spending account provider. Chanddeep oversees all aspects of Aya Care’s operations, including strategic planning, business development, and ensuring that the company’s mission to drive healthcare financial inclusivity is reflected in all its endeavours. With a background in the financial sector and a personal commitment to transformative healthcare solutions, Chanddeep founded Aya Care to address the pressing issue of unequal access to healthcare and to eliminate financial barriers for individuals seeking health and wellness. Through Aya Care’s Visa-partnered spending accounts, individuals can easily access and afford healthcare without the stress of financial constraints. Aya Care serves a diverse clientele, including employers keen on retaining their workforce by offering innovative healthcare solutions, as well as organizations seeking cost-effective healthcare solutions for their employees. Aya Care operates on a flexible pricing model and has a dispersed team across various regions in Canada, primarily in Ontario, Alberta, and Prince Edward Island (PEI).
What is your business called and what does it do?
Aya Care is a Canadian health and wellness company driven by the mission of eliminating financial barriers for individuals seeking health and wellness.
Aya Care is reshaping the healthcare landscape by removing financial hurdles through Visa-partnered spending accounts, providing hassle-free access to care with simple card transactions and effortless receipt uploads. With record-breaking inflation, many Canadians can’t afford healthcare, and as a result, their credit cards are declined at healthcare appointments. Aya Care’s visa model solves this gap, providing a direct solution instead of overwhelming Canadians with insurance programs that don’t provide immediate relief. Now, Aya Care is serving more than 200 companies nationwide. Chanddeep’s mission is to champion healthcare financial inclusivity in Canada.
What made you want to do this work?
My career path has been rooted in the financial sector for over a decade, where I held significant roles at Karmic Labs and PwC. At Karmic Labs, I served as an interim CFO, overseeing legal, compliance, finance, and risk operations. Prior to that, my tenure at PwC involved diverse responsibilities in retail strategy, risk management, and process development within the Capital Projects and Infrastructure team.
My professional journey took an unexpected turn due to a personal injury that shifted my perspective. This experience became a catalyst for redirecting my focus towards a more passion-driven pursuit. Motivated by a deep-seated aspiration to contribute to accessible and affordable healthcare on a global scale, I founded our Health and Wellness Spending Account venture.
This transition wasn’t solely driven by professional expertise but also by a personal commitment to reshaping barriers in healthcare access. Combining my professional background with an impassioned dedication to transformative healthcare solutions, I embarked on this journey to make a more profound impact on the world.
What problem did you want to solve with the business?
Aya Care addresses the pressing issue of unequal access to healthcare. In a world where there’s sufficient funding, it’s disheartening that it sometimes doesn’t reach those who need it most. Our mission is to bridge this gap by enabling equitable access to healthcare. Additionally, we aim to alleviate the burden of worrying about healthcare expenses and insurance paperwork, allowing individuals to focus on their well-being without the stress of financial constraints, enabling them to prioritize what is meaningful to them.
Who are your clientele/demographics?
Our clientele and target demographics encompass two main groups. Firstly, we serve employers keen on retaining their highly skilled workforce by providing state-of-the-art benefits. These employers prioritize offering innovative healthcare solutions as part of their retention strategy.
Secondly, we cater to organizations seeking benefits that cap their costs while offering flexibility to their employees. This group includes employers with staff numbers ranging from 20 employees to as many as 10,000. Our services are tailored to meet the diverse needs of companies across this wide spectrum, aiming to provide cost-effective healthcare solutions that align with their specific requirements.
How does your business make money? How does it work?
Aya Care operates on a flexible pricing model designed to accommodate different client preferences. Our pricing structure includes options such as a prepay percentage of allocation or a pay-as-you-go plan, where fees are based on a percentage of usage along with a subscription fee. Aya Care’s tailored solutions suit varying needs, ensuring Canadians receive the best value from their health and wellness spending accounts.
Where in the city can we find your profession?
Aya Care operates remotely and has a dispersed team across various regions, primarily in Ontario, Alberta, and Prince Edward Island (PEI). Our flexible structure allows us to serve clients efficiently throughout Canada.
What is the best question a prospective customer could ask a member of your profession when comparing services? Give the answer as well.
Question: “How does Aya Care’s offering differ from traditional insurance plans?”
Answer: “Aya Care’s approach stands out by offering health and wellness spending accounts that provide unparalleled flexibility and savings. Unlike conventional insurance plans, our model allows employers to allocate funds directly to employees, empowering them to manage their healthcare expenses efficiently. With our system, employees have the freedom to choose how to utilize these allocated funds, eliminating paperwork hassles. This approach saves over $1,000 per employee per year compared to traditional insurance models, providing cost savings for employers and flexibility for employees in managing their healthcare needs.”
What is the best part about what you do? What is the worst part?
The best part is witnessing the positive impact of our work, empowering individuals and businesses to access healthcare without financial stress, and contributing to a healthier society. The worst part is the challenge of navigating an industry resistant to change. It can be a steep climb to introduce innovative solutions in an environment that favours the status quo. However, we see this challenge as an opportunity – there is demand for a health wellness spending account, and we are proud to provide this to all Canadians.
What is your favourite joke about your own profession?
I think my favourite joke is that insurance premiums go up regardless of what happens. They never come down. With my experience and what Aya Care does, that joke can shift and using eAya Car you can make those pesky premiums come down.
Where can we follow you?
Website | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook
PAY IT FORWARD: What is another local business that you love?
We love Fresh Founders, Fresh Founders always aims to do right by companies and entrepreneurs across Canada. We highly encourage entrepreneurs to explore Fresh Founders and join the movement. Without them, Aya Care would not be in a position to reach out to audiences such as yourselves.
