EngageWell IPA Launch: "What 4 Days Taught Me About Digital Health"

100% Enrollment in 4 Days

When we launched our HIV program with EngageWell IPA earlier this month, it filled up in just four days. Every single spot taken. And in a program for those who are Medicaid-insured or lack insurance.

That’s not a marketing stat (although I'm pretty proud of our Marketing Team!): it’s a timely reminder. There are a few frustrating myths that persist in healthcare, and one is that people on Medicaid or dealing with unstable housing won’t use digital health. Too complicated, too techy, not “their thing.”

Turns out, that’s wrong. People will engage if you give them something useful, simple, and backed by people they already trust.

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Why It Worked

The speed of enrollment wasn’t because Perx had some magic switch. We combined Perx’s years of experience designing digital programs for Medicaid populations with the trusted names of Harlem United, Housing Works, Casa de la Salud, and The Alliance for Positive Change.

Before launch, we spent time with each agency, listening to how they communicate with their members and what mattered most to their communities. We used their language, their tone, and their insight, and then layered it with what Perx knows best: how to design digital campaigns that resonate with Medicaid populations.

The end result wasn’t just Perx or just the agencies. It was a campaign grounded in local credibility, delivered with the scale and know-how of Perx. Even across a complex system of different organizations, the approach cut through and people signed up fast.

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The Bigger Point

Here’s what I take from those four days: the idea that vulnerable populations “don’t do digital” is lazy thinking. If a program isn’t working, the problem is probably the design, not the people.

Healthcare is full of overengineered tech that patients ignore, or solutions built for healthy employee benefits shoehorned into government programs. The faster we admit that, the faster we can build tools that actually work.

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What’s Next

This result shows that with the right partners and the right approach, digital health can work for people who’ve too often been left out of the conversation.

That’s good news for EngageWell’s members. And it should be a reminder to the whole industry: if your solution isn’t being used, don’t blame the patients.

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Read the full press release announcement here.