Precedence Well being, a nonprofit well being plan with 1.3 million members, introduced a partnership with Virta Well being on Tuesday to supply employers help for weight administration and diabetes.
Denver, Colorado-based Energy Well being is a digital well being firm that works with payers and employers and gives vitamin help and medicine prescribing if obligatory. It creates customized care plans primarily based on the affected person’s medical historical past, private objectives and threat components.
By means of the brand new partnership, Precedence Well being’s employer purchasers have entry to 3 options from Virta Well being primarily based on their wants and budgets:
- Sustainable Weight Loss, which helps members shed some pounds by vitamin remedy
- Sustainable Weight Loss With Accountable Prescribing, which gives GLP-1s prescribed by a Virta clinician alongside vitamin and life-style help
- Diabetes Reversal, which leverages vitamin remedy to assist members obtain kind 2 diabetes remission
All three of those options can be found to Precedence Well being’s self-funded employer purchasers, whereas fully-funded purchasers have entry to the primary two applications.
Precedence Well being selected Virta Well being as accomplice “as a result of they’re leaders in addressing power metabolic circumstances, and their method aligns completely with our dedication to the well-being and empowerment of our members,” mentioned Alicia Coronas, vice chairman of employer options product and advertising at Precedence Well being, in an e-mail. “Their customized vitamin plans, behavioral help, and ongoing remedy supervision supply a complete option to sort out weight administration and sort 2 diabetes remission.”
Information reveals that this type of help is required. In 2021, 38.4 million Individuals, or 11.6% of the inhabitants, had diabetes, in accordance with the American Diabetes Affiliation. As well as, almost one in three adults are obese, whereas two in 5 adults have weight problems, in accordance with the Nationwide Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Ailments.
GLP-1s are thought-about an essential instrument to deal with this rising prevalence of weight problems and diabetes, however come at a excessive price. Virta Well being Co-Founder and CEO Sami Inkinen beforehand instructed MedCity Information that the corporate controls GLP-1 prices by being an “reasonably priced nutrition-first different and off-ramp, whereas our suppliers can be accountable prescribers of those medicine to regulate irresponsible use given our 10+ years of expertise doing so through telemedicine.”
Virta Well being isn’t the one firm providing weight reduction and diabetes help, nevertheless. Different firms embody Livongo, Vida Well being and Omada Well being. That mentioned, a latest Peterson Well being Know-how Institute report discovered that Virta Well being was the one firm that delivered promising outcomes for diabetes.
In working with Virta Well being, Precedence finally goals “to enhance metabolic well being in a method that helps long-term wellness for members and value financial savings for employers,” Coronas mentioned.
Precedence Well being’s partnership with Virta Well being comes shortly after the insurer introduced one other vendor partnership earlier this month with Ayble Well being for digital gastrointestinal care.
Picture: mikdam, Getty Photographs
