Issue 046
Welcome back to E&O Wednesdays, the enrollment-focused digital health newsletter from Exits & Outcomes — for paying subscribers only. This every-other-Wednesday issue digs into digital health companies that sell to self-insured employers as well as others that rely on enrollment-based distribution for their digital health programs.
E&O Wednesdays: Employers
This edition of E&O Wednesdays includes the 52nd BigCo digital health employee benefits stack analysis. If you would like a quick summary of what E&O found in its analysis of some of the first 40+ BigCo stacks, check out this searchable, sortable database right here. Was this forwarded to you? Increasingly, E&O is a covered benefit from many forward-looking digital health-focused employers. Why not yours? Consider a Business or Enterprise subscription today. Click this link to become a paying subscriber (there are personal plans available too).
Big employer benefits stack: Amazon
Digital health companies love to boast how many Fortune 500 customers they have, but they aren’t always able to share which big companies offer their programs. That’s where E&O comes in. This recurring feature of E&O Wednesdays digs into a Fortune 500’s (or similarly-sized employer’s) digital health stack. So far, in past Wednesdays issues, I’ve written about the digital health benefits stacks of dozens of big companies. This searchable, sortable database over at the E&O site sums up the benefits stacks of more than 40 BigCos. Or, click any of the BigCo names below to read the newsletter that featured a full write-up for each:
- Walmart,
- Activision Blizzard,
- JP Morgan Chase,
- The Home Depot,
- Boeing,
- 3M,
- Chevron,
- BorgWarner,
- Bank of America,
- UnitedHealth Group,
- Costco,
- eBay,
- McKesson,
- Ford,
- Dell,
- AT&T,
- Disney,
- Novartis,
- Red Bull,
- VMware,
- T-Mobile/Sprint,
- Adobe,
- Phillips 66,
- Cox Enterprises,
- Wells Fargo,
- PayPal,
- Facebook,
- Sony Pictures,
- General Mills,
- General Electric,
- Comcast,
- News Corp,
- Vanguard,
- Nokia,
- HII,
- Fidelity,
- AbbVie,
- Dow Inc.,
- R.R. Donnelley & Sons,
- Target,
- Chipotle,
- W. W. Grainger,
- Tesla,
- Hitachi,
- Western Digital,
- AmerisourceBergen,
- Analog Devices,
- Citi,
- Xerox,
- Autodesk,
- and ExxonMobil.
This week I dug into the benefits stack of Amazon. Amazon employees are on plans administered by either Premera or Aetna. Some of the programs are only available to employees on a plan from one or the other insurance company as noted below.
Aetna Health app for care navigation, health plan management, virtual care
Amazon employees on an Aetna-administered plan are encouraged to download the Aetna Health app, which tools to track spending toward deductibles, find in-network providers, get cost estimates before getting care, and talk to a doctor by phone or video.
Digital MSK: Aetna Back and Joint Care program, which is Hinge Health basically
“Through the Aetna Back and Joint Care program, Hinge Health offers exercise therapy for chronic back, knee, hip, neck and shoulder pain.”
Premera MyCare’s virtual care app for quick visits as well as chronic condition care
Similarly, Premera positions its app as a central hub for Amazon employees, but the focus here is less on health insurance navigation and more on virtual care. Premera also positions its app as a way to seek virtual care for mental health, substance use treatment, physical therapy, and diabetes management care.
Premera: Just ask local doctors about virtual visits
Curiously, Premera also suggests that Amazon employees simply ask local providers if they offer virtual visits. This is actually the first option for virtual care that Premera pitches to Amazon employees on its benefits overview site for the company:
“Many in-network local doctors, counselors, psychiatrists, and facilities offer virtual visits during the coronavirus pandemic. Hours vary by provider. Just ask if your doctor or specialist offers virtual visits before you book an appointment.”
Premera also offers Amazon employees Grand Rounds (now named Included Health) for care navigation, second opinions, and treatment advice
This is likely a sign that some of the offerings from Premera to Amazon employees are out of date, but the insurance company has a tucked-away pitch for Grand Rounds on its benefits site too. Grand Rounds is positioned as one of about five ways to select a care provider. (Not surprisingly, Premera features its own suite of tools higher up in the list.) While the pitch uses the old name — Grand Rounds — the landing page is updated as Included Health and offers Amazon employees three services: find top-rated doctors, get expert second opinions, and speak with a nurse for treatment advice.
Aetna and Premera: Resources for Living and AbleTo
Amazon employees get three free counseling sessions per issue per year via Resources for Living, which appears to have been a new benefit in the past year. AbleTo offers Amazon employees next-day, short-term treatment, grounded in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy via “access to a nationwide network of more than 350 licensed therapists and behavior coaches”.
Premera: Doctor on Demand and Talkspace for mental health
Another newer benefit from Premera is Doctor on Demand — specifically for mental health virtual care:
“On-demand, text-based and video access to a variety of therapists with different backgrounds and specialties who provide talk therapy, medication management, and support your mental wellbeing.”
(Doctor on Demand is now a part of Included Health — like Grand Rounds.) Premera also pitches Amazon employees Talkspace.
“Online therapy with a licensed clinician via text and live video.”
Aetna: MindCheck to check in with your mental health
One mental health program that Aetna offers but Premera doesn’t is MindCheck:
“MindCheck is a digital tool that gives you a quick read on your emotional health and how you can improve it.”
Aetna and Premera: Virtual mental health support for kids via Brightline
“School stress, academic performance, anxiety, self-esteem or behavioral issues, fights with friends—whatever challenges your child is dealing with, Brightline for Amazon employees is there to help. When you sign up for Brightline, you and your family will have access to mental health resources built by experts and caregivers that are specifically designed for kids and teens.”
Premera: Two other programs that were new in 2021 were Boulder Care and WorkIt Health for opioid use and alcohol use disorder treatment
Boulder Care’s pitch to Amazon employees:
“Opioid use and alcohol use disorder treatment for people over age 18. Video visits and text messaging allow people to connect with clinicians, care advocates and support 24/7.”
WorkIt Health’s:
“Digital rehab and therapy to treat opioid and alcohol use disorder for people over age 18. Therapy also available for other addictions including drugs, smoking, and behaviors like gambling. A care team can be accessed 24/7.”
Aetna and Premera: Livongo for diabetes management
“Livongo provides real-time monitoring and health management support to individuals diagnosed with diabetes. The program is designed to empower members to make better decisions by:
- Providing a free glucose meter that automatically uploads blood glucose readings
- Mailing free, unlimited test strips
- Offering real-time tips to help manage your diabetes
- Connecting you to Certified Diabetes Educators, 24-hours a day, 365 days a year”
Aetna: Support from a fertility advocate via Progyny
“Progyny offers access to a large network of fertility providers. Get concierge support with unlimited access to a dedicated patient care advocate.”
Aetna Enhanced Maternity program, which includes Ovia apps
“Get support and learn what to expect before and after delivery. The program includes:
- Genetic counseling and screening, as well as cost-effective genetic testing • Advice on lowering your risk for early labor
- Support for postpartum depression
- Free Ovia apps for fertility, pregnancy and parenting”
Aetna and Premera: Advice from cancer experts via AccessHope
“AccessHope offers insights from top cancer experts, including: Support from an oncology nurse and Groundbreaking input on advanced therapies.”
Twill for mental health care
While I didn’t see any mention of Twill in the medical benefits marketing materials put together by Premera and Aetna, Amazon announced that it was offering access to Twill as a new mental health benefit starting in 2023. Here’s what it wrote in the announcement a few months ago:
“Employees can now also access mental health care 24/7 through a new partnership with the app Twill—a digital, self-guided mental health program. Twill also provides mood tracking, science-backed games, and activities designed to help employees and their family members work through negative thoughts, build confidence, and manage stress. Twill allows you to address mental health concerns the moment they arise and can be used as a supplement to your daily well-being routine. It is free for Amazon employees and their family or household members, and it’s completely confidential.”
(I suspect that Amazon offers employees even more digital health-powered benefits than this list details since it is largely sourced from Amazon’s health plan administrator partners. If you know of any others, let me know by hitting reply to this newsletter.)
OK, that’s a wrap on Amazon’s benefits stack. Which BigCo should E&O dig into next? Hit reply if you have a suggestion.
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