NEW YORK and ALBUQUERQUE, N.M., March 17, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Empassion Health, Inc., the nation’s largest manager of patients with serious illness, today announced a strategic partnership with Karoo Health Inc, America’s Cardiac Solution®.
The partnership brings together two organizations with deep expertise in different stages of complex illness to better support patients living with advanced cardiovascular and other serious illness conditions.
Karoo currently enables cardiology networks, health systems, and health plans to deliver value-based cardiovascular care through a combination of proprietary technology, dedicated on-site and virtual care teams, and contracting capabilities. In partnership with its growing network of approximately 600 cardiac providers in eleven states, Karoo improves outcomes and lowers cost of care for patients across the full spectrum of cardiovascular disease.
As patients progress to later stages of illness -- often experiencing worsening symptoms, multiple chronic conditions, declining daily function, and growing caregiver burden -- Empassion provides specialized serious illness care. Through advanced patient identification and a curated network of in-home providers, Empassion delivers high-quality palliative and hospice services that reduce avoidable hospitalizations and improve quality of life for patients and caregivers.
Together, the organizations create a clear and seamless transition for patients as their needs evolve from cardiac management to specialized serious illness care.
Karoo will lead care for patients with cardiovascular disease. When a patient’s heart disease progresses to an advanced stage, Empassion will assume responsibility for the patient’s serious illness care.
“Empassion is world-class at caring for patients with serious illness, and Karoo is world-class at managing cardiovascular disease,” said Chase Knight, Chief Growth Officer at Empassion Health. “Patients benefit when each organization focuses on what it does best, with a clear transition point when the patient’s illness advances.”
Patients with advanced heart disease frequently experience worsening symptoms, complex medical needs, and growing caregiver strain. When these patients reach a stage where quality of life and daily function are significantly impacted, specialized serious illness care becomes essential.
"Patients with heart disease typically live with their condition for years, their needs change, and escalations occur along the way," said Ian Koons, CEO of Karoo Health. "Karoo intervenes in these moments to improve outcomes while still managing cost. When their illness progresses to an advanced stage, Empassion ensures those patients receive the specialized support they deserve."
As value-based care continues expanding, health plans are increasingly seeking partners that can coordinate effectively across specialty programs while maintaining clear accountability for patient care. The Karoo and Empassion partnership provides a structured model that allows care ownership to transition smoothly as patient needs evolve.
About Karoo Health
As America's Cardiac Solution®, Karoo Health is transforming cardiac care. Heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, with one person dying every 34 seconds due to cardiovascular illness. Deploying an exclusive mix of proprietary technology and specialized care grounded in value-based principles, Karoo Health enables cardiology networks, health systems, and health plans to seamlessly transition to and succeed in cardiac value-based care and excel in outcomes-driven initiatives. For more information, visit www.karoohealth.com or connect on LinkedIn.
About Empassion
Empassion is on a mission to effectively and conveniently provide high-quality care for adults living with serious illness so that they can have more good days. Empassion operates in 45 states and partners with tens of thousands of community-based supportive care providers. Empassion serves multiple lines of business including Original Medicare, Medicare Advantage, and SNP populations. For more information about Empassion’s value-based programs, please visit https://empassion.com
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Chase Knight EmpassionHealth 917-865-4618 Chase.Knight@Empassion.com
