CVS Health has selected Vida Health’s Weight Loss+ program to be part of the company’s Point Solutions Management offering, which enables CVS Caremark pharmacy benefit management (PBM) employer and health plan clients to more efficiently administer their benefits programs while minimizing associated spend.
Vida was selected after undergoing a rigorous clinical, business, and data security evaluation, which included testing of the end-to-end consumer experience by a team of CVS Health clinicians.
Vida Weight Loss+ is a comprehensive digital nutrition program that addresses the interconnected factors affecting weight to drive clinically meaningful weight loss that lasts. The program uses a combination of fully integrated mental health skills-development with personalized health coaching to change behaviors that affect weight. In a study published in PLOS ONE medical journal earlier this year, the Vida Weight Loss program saw a mean percent changes in body weight of -7.6% for obese participants. The observed weight loss exceeded the target weight change of -5% which is commonly targeted for in-person weight management interventions.
“I founded Vida to eradicate chronic diseases like diabetes, mental health issues and hypertension that are often associated with obesity,” said Vida Health Founder and CEO Stephanie Tilenius. “By partnering with CVS Health to help Americans lose weight, we’re also empowering people to manage their health holistically and fulfilling on our mission of preventing people from developing these chronic conditions that are crippling our population — and our healthcare system.”
Members who sign up for the program choose a Registered Dietitian (RD) or certified health coach and participate in weekly, one-on-one sessions through text, audio and video for continuous real time advice and care. Vida’s national network of providers licensed in 50 states have backgrounds as RD’s, coaches, personal trainers, certified diabetes educators, etc. and a minimum of five years of experience each. On top of the professional training they bring when they join Vida they receive intensive training in Motivational Interviewing, a behavior change technique that involves enhancing a patient’s motivation to change.
“I got further in one year [with Vida] than I have in two decades of trying on my own,” said Jenny, an employee of one of Vida’s Fortune 500 clients and a Vida Weight Loss+ user who lost 80 pounds since joining the program. “With understanding who I am, what I have gone through and what I wanted to accomplish, my coach got me on the path of sustaining a healthy lifestyle. She gave me my life back.”
The program is a mobile-first experience uniquely personalized to each user through a combination of provider expertise and machine learning algorithms that use data from 100+ app and device integrations, as well as medical claims data, biometric data, and more to personalize the program and content.
“Employers and other plan sponsors are increasingly looking for innovative tools to help people manage weight loss, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Sree Chaguturu, MD, Chief Medical Officer at CVS Caremark, the pharmacy benefit management (PBM) business of CVS Health. “Vida’s commitment to clinical evaluation and research aligns with our focus on helping our clients include clinically effective digital point solutions as part of their benefits packages.”
With Vida’s participation in CVS’s point solutions management service, PBM clients receive simplified contracting, preferred pricing and the ability to monitor ongoing performance of the program, which can help maximize their benefits program while minimizing associated spend.
About Vida Health
Vida Health is a leading virtual care platform that was designed from the ground up to treat multiple chronic health conditions simultaneously, through a balance of machine learning that personalizes each person’s treatment and a human connection with real life health coaches and therapists who bring the empathy and accountability people need to reach their goals. Vida Health’s services are delivered through a mobile platform that supports individuals in preventing, managing and reversing chronic conditions such as pre-diabetes, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, depression, anxiety, etc. The platform integrates deep individual expert care with data-driven technology and remote monitoring to deliver best-in-class health outcomes and cost savings to employers and health plans. To-date, some of the largest nationwide health plans and employers have benefited from Vida’s unique offering.
About CVS Health
CVS Health is united around a common goal of becoming the most consumer-centric health company in the world. We’re evolving based on changing consumer needs and meeting people where they are, whether that’s in the community at one of our nearly 10,000 local touchpoints, in the home, or in the palm of their hand. Our newest offerings — from HealthHUB® locations that are redefining what a pharmacy can be, to innovative programs that help manage chronic conditions — are designed to create a higher-quality, simpler and more affordable experience. Learn more about how we’re transforming health at www.cvshealth.com.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200729005102/en/