Blue Shield of California expands Wellvolution with new programs
Three new programs are being added, ranging from behavioral health to diabetes management.
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Blue Shield of California's Wellvolution, the insurer's digital health platform, has added three new programs to its offerings, ranging from behavioral health to diabetes management.
As part of Wellvolution's continued expansion, Ciba, Digbi and Wondr have been added to the platform, and offerings from Dario Health now include diabetes management.
Ciba Health is a digital health platform that uses a root-cause approach, digging into the drivers of weight gain, to prevent, treat and reverse diabetes and obesity. Digbi Health features a care team that uses genetics, gut microbiome and clinical data to deliver personalized treatment for obesity, cardiometabolic and digestive health issues. Wondr Health is a behavior-change program with personalized content and tools for long-term weight loss, reduced health risks, better sleep and less stress.
Plus, in addition to hypertension offerings available to members since late 2023, Dario Health offers personalized tools and coaching for better blood sugar management and better health. The tools include unlimited test strips and lancets, and a blood sugar testing device that plugs into a person's phone.
WHAT'S THE IMPACT
Introduced in 2019 in collaboration with Solera Health, Wellvolution offers digital health programs to address and prevent a variety of health needs with holistic, lifestyle-medicine approaches: diabetes, weight management, mental health, hypertension, musculoskeletal health and tobacco cessation.
Internal data shows positive results for Wellvolution. Members participating in weight management programs have lost a total of 272,880 pounds over the five-year life of the platform, while 82% of members reported their experience with Wellvolution was worthwhile.
According to Blue Shield of California, Wellvolution programs aim to get to the root cause of a condition by teaching sustainable healthy habits, which is done with personal coaching, as well as education on the importance of a healthy diet, sleep and stress management, exercise and smoking cessation.
Some programs also offer tools to help members with their health journeys – like a digital weight scale, exercise tracker, glucometer, movement-tracking wearable sensors, nicotine replacement therapy or a blood pressure monitor to track progress
The top three health needs addressed by Wellvolution, the insurer said, include mental health (43%), diabetes prevention or management (31%), and weight management (19%).
THE LARGER TREND
More than 80% of companies with more than 200 workers offer wellness programs, according to 2019 KFF research. Most offer ways for members to address issues such as sleep quality; stress management; physical activity; diet and nutrition; tobacco cessation; cardio-metabolic disease prevention such as diabetes and heart disease; and chronic condition reversal.
Despite such offerings, healthcare spending for individuals with employer-sponsored insurance hit an all-time high in 2019.
Most adults in California have prediabetes or diabetes. Nearly half of California adults, including one out of every three young adults, have either prediabetes – a precursor to Type 2 diabetes – or undiagnosed diabetes, according to a 2021 study released by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.
ON THE RECORD
"We launched Wellvolution in 2019 to help our members prevent, treat and even reverse chronic diseases with lifestyle medicine at no additional cost," said Angie Kalousek Ebrahimi, senior director of lifestyle medicine at Blue Shield of California. "Since then, the platform has expanded and will continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of Californians. Lifestyle medicine, paired with personalized health coaching and digital tools and technologies, can transform lives. The improved health outcomes and the positive feedback from our members inspires us each year to meet members where they are so they can live great – even healthier – lives."
Jeff Lagasse is editor of Healthcare Finance News.
Email: jlagasse@himss.org
Healthcare Finance News is a HIMSS Media publication.
