facebook twitter instagram linkedin google youtube vimeo tumblr yelp rss email podcast phone blog search brokercheck brokercheck Play Pause
Innovative Approaches to Affordable Senior Care: Insights from Neal Shah, CEO of Care Yaya and Counterforce Health Thumbnail

Innovative Approaches to Affordable Senior Care: Insights from Neal Shah, CEO of Care Yaya and Counterforce Health

Cashflow Mastering Your Money Radio Retirement

Neal Shah 

Discussion:

  1. Overview of Senior Care Challenges Neal Shah  explained the substantial demand for in-home senior care, noting that most seniors wish to age at home. Traditional home-care agencies often charge around $40/hour but pay care workers less than half that rate. As a result, working families struggle with affordability and care quality. Many adult children attempt to provide care themselves, leading to burnout and high stress.    

    2.   

  2. Care Yaya Program Neal introduced Care Yaya as a free social impact solution operating across 20 states with over 45,000 college students (mostly nursing, pre-med, or allied health) who provide companionship and basic care tasks. Clients pay students directly, usually at $17/hour—almost half the traditional cost. Besides affordability, Care Yaya promotes intergenerational relationships and offers students valuable experience for future clinical careers.    

    3.   

  3. Expansion to HBCUs Ed mentioned HBCUs like North Carolina Central and Winston-Salem State. Neal confirmed recent collaborations with these institutions, emphasizing the willingness to expand anywhere at least 50 to 100 students can participate. The team of only five full-time staff has grown the program largely through word of mouth, professor introductions, and student referrals.    

    4.   

  4. Counterforce Health and Insurance Denial Appeals Neal described his personal caregiving experiences advocating for relatives with dementia and cancer. He observed that one in five insured adults experiences claim denials yet 99% do not appeal, often out of frustration. With Counterforce Health, any denied individual can upload their denial documents and insurance policy, generating a robust, research-backed appeal letter in under two minutes. Funded by groups like the National Institutes of Health, it leverages AI tools to cite medical codes, research, and arguments that improve success rates to 70–75%. The platform also educates patients on seeking external review through state insurance departments.    

    5.   

  5. Long-Term Care Insurance Usage For clients who do have long-term care policies, Care Yaya can support claims by providing documentation: students submit a simple form that clients can in turn file with their insurance company for reimbursement. Ed confirmed that few people own such policies due to cost, but it remains an option.    

    6.   

  6. Advice for Caregiving and Insurance Neal noted caregiving’s steep emotional toll can lead to higher mortality rates for spousal caregivers. He recommended families seek outside help—both for direct caregiving tasks and insurance disputes. This reduces physical, emotional, and financial stress. He urged listeners never to consider a denial final but to view it as a negotiation, especially given the time typically allowed beyond initial billing.    

    7.   

  7. Best Advice Received Neal shared that focusing on impact attracts the needed support. His own experience shows that if a program genuinely addresses people’s struggles, organizations like AARP and the American Heart Association, as well as individuals, step in to fund and encourage its growth.    

    8.   

  8. Takeaways and Closing Ed wrapped up, stressing four points: taking responsibility for current circumstances, being open to change, remaining persistent in pursuing one’s vision, and creating one’s own happiness. He encouraged listeners to leverage innovations like Care Yaya and Counterforce Health to manage while supporting elderly loved ones or handling denied insurance claims.    

To Dos:

  1. (Neil) Continue outreach to HBCUs (e.g., Winston-Salem State, North Carolina Central) to grow the student caregiver network.  
    2.   
  2. (Ed) Share information about Care Yaya and Counterforce Health with contacts in Washington, D.C. and other regions.  
    3.   
  3. (Listeners) Explore Care Yaya’s system (careyaya.org) if in-home support is needed, and consider Counterforce Health (counterforcehealth.org) for insurance denial assistance.  
    4.   
  4. (Listeners) Appeal any denied insurance claims in a timely manner and, if necessary, pursue external review through respective state insurance departments.  
    5. <