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 assist for weight administration and diabetes.
Denver, Colorado-based Virta Well being is a digital well being firm that works with payers and employers and gives vitamin assist and medicine prescribing if crucial. It creates personalised care plans primarily based on the affected person’s medical historical past, private targets and threat elements.
By means of the brand new partnership, Precedence Well being’s employer purchasers have entry to a few options from Virta Well being primarily based on their wants and budgets:
- Sustainable Weight Loss, which helps members drop extra pounds by vitamin remedy
- Sustainable Weight Loss With Accountable Prescribing, which gives GLP-1s prescribed by a Virta clinician alongside vitamin and life-style assist
- Diabetes Reversal, which leverages vitamin remedy to assist members obtain sort 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 a accomplice “as a result of they’re leaders in addressing persistent metabolic situations, and their method aligns completely with our dedication to the well-being and empowerment of our members,” mentioned Alicia Coronas, vp of employer options product and advertising at Precedence Well being, in an e-mail. “Their personalised vitamin plans, behavioral assist, and ongoing medicine supervision provide a complete method to deal with weight administration and sort 2 diabetes remission.”
Knowledge exhibits that this type of assist is required. In 2021, 38.4 million Individuals, or 11.6% of the inhabitants, had diabetes, in response to the American Diabetes Affiliation. As well as, practically one in three adults are obese, whereas two in 5 adults have weight problems, in response to the Nationwide Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Ailments.
GLP-1s are thought of an vital software to handle this rising prevalence of weight problems and diabetes, however come at a excessive value. Virta Well being Co-Founder and CEO Sami Inkinen beforehand informed MedCity Information that the corporate controls GLP-1 prices by being an “reasonably priced nutrition-first various and off-ramp, whereas our suppliers may also 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 assist, nonetheless. Different corporations embrace Livongo, Vida Well being and Omada Well being. That mentioned, a latest Peterson Well being Expertise 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 manner 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.
Photograph: mikdam, Getty Photographs
