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

Here’s what’s happening in recent weeks in the world of employer-focused or enrollment-based digital health:

• The next E&O long-form research report will be on Crossover Health, which is ready for an exit of some kind. Send tips, angles, rumors, fun facts, and financials my way by clicking here.
• The news you know: Oscar filed its paperwork for an IPO. Kevin O’Leary has the analysis worth reading here.
• Rethink First, a behavioral and mental health technology-enabled services provider, acquired Whil, a “digital provider of mindfulness, stress resilience, mental well-being, and sustainable performance solutions.” While no financials were disclosed related to the transaction, the announcement noted that Whil has 250 clients worldwide.
• Two recent studies punch more holes in arguments to make it easier for people to truly “shop” for healthcare. One ends up concluding it’s better to focus on physicians responsible for referrals rather than equipping patients with more information to shop for lower-cost care options. The other, “The Health Costs of Cost-Sharing” is a must-read for proponents of HDHPs.
• Google is hiring a Director of Benefits for Mental Health & Well Being (minimum salary of $256,000, which was disclosed thanks to a new law in Colorado). I have no frame of reference, but it’s surprising to me the company has a role like this where the main focus is on mental health.
• CDC’s list of DPP providers with full recognition now includes Pack Health, Melon Health, and Vida Health.
• Speaking of DPP, Walmart is piloting a diabetes prevention program from HabitNu at two of its health clinics.
• And, not to connect too many dots here, but Omada Health CEO and Co-founder Sean Duffy was quick to add Walmart (hmm…) to a list of notable companies making big moves in digital health during a podcast with my old friends Jonah Comstock at HIMSS/MobiHealthNews and former Propeller Health COO/CCO Chris Hogg.
• Meru Health is recruiting for a randomized control trial where one cohort will go through the Meru Health Program (MHP) while the other will join a waitlist (WL) control group, which will be offered access to the program after the initial 12-week program cohort is finished. The study will include adults with depression.
• Hinge Health is currently enrolling employees at News Corp., Ardagh Group, and HCSC for its digital MSK program.
• Speaking of Hinge, the company also recently filed a number of trademarks including “Beyond Digital PT” and “Movement is Medicine”.
• Meanwhile, Grand Rounds abandoned one of its early trademarks: “The Cure for Common Healthcare.”
• One more thing… Ohio health insurance company Medical Mutual inked a deal with Lark to offer its diabetes prevention, hypertension, diabetes care, weight management, sleep, tobacco cessation, and behavioral health programs to members.

CVS swapped out Livongo for BioTel’s Telcare in its Next-gen Transform Diabetes program

In Issue 002 of Wednesdays I wrote about the slow-motion unraveling of the Livongo-CVS relationship and wondered if the Teladoc-Livongo merger might save the company’s relationship.

More evidence this week that CVS is pushing ahead with a new version of its Transform Diabetes program that does not include Livongo.

First, quickly, the backstory, which I outlined in Issue 002:

This soured deal also led to Livongo getting the boot from the CVS digital health formulary — making it the first and so far only company to get removed from either the CVS or Express Scripts digital health formularies.

Anyway, all of that is background to the predictable (but unannounced) news that CVS has replaced Livongo’s cellular-enabled glucose meter with the one made by BioTelemetry. (BioTel used to be CardioNet, and it acquired cellular-enabled glucose meter pioneer Telcare. Stay with me here: BioTel also just got acquired by Philips.)

Fortune 500 Digital Health Stack: Chevron

Digital health companies love to boast how many Fortune 500 customers they have. This recurring feature of E&O Wednesdays digs into a different Fortune 500’s digital health stack.

So far, in past Wednesdays issues, I’ve written about the digital health stacks of Walmart, video game giant Activision Blizzard, JP Morgan Chase, The Home Depot, Boeing, and 3M.

This week, I pored through the medical benefits offered to employees at Chevron. Here’s what their digital health stack looks like for 2021:

LiveHealth (American Well): For its HDHP plan members, Chevron has waived cost-sharing for virtual visits through Anthem’s branded virtual visits platform, LiveHealth, which is powered by American Well. Interestingly, during the pandemic, Chevron also opted to cover virtual visits with other providers by following the company’s existing HDHP rules for office visits: In-Network: 80 percent of contracted rates after the deductible. Out-of-Network: 60 percent of the maximum allowed amount after the deductible. For its PPO plan members, Chevron covers the cost of all LiveHealth visits, and during the pandemic, it is also covering some of the cost of non-LiveHealth virtual visits too. Site

MDLIVE (via Beacon Health Options): Chevron offers employees access to MDLIVE virtual visits (voice and video) for certain mental health issues, including depression, anxiety, life transitions, trauma and loss, substance use, and relationship issues. The service MDLIVE provides is thanks to its partnership with Beacon Health Options, and Chevron treats it as an outpatient visit, so the same co-pays apply. This offering includes access to state-licensed therapists and board-certified psychiatrists. Usually, Chevron won’t cover the costs of telebehavioral health visits outside of those offered via MDLIVE/Beacon Health Options but during the pandemic the company has said it would. Site

2nd.MD: Starting in 2017, 2nd.MD took over as Chevron’s second opinions service. (Prior to that, Best Doctors had filled this role.) “If you are facing a new medical diagnosis, have questions about your treatment plan or medications, are considering possible surgery or battling ongoing medical conditions, you are encouraged to contact 2nd.MD.” Chevron asks that employees use 2nd.MD to get a second opinion before knee, hip, back, or spine surgeries: “If you do not seek a second opinion for these procedures you will be responsible for an additional $400 of out-of-pocket costs for the procedure, whether or not you’ve met your annual deductible.” (Remember: 2nd.MD was recently acquired by Accolade.) Site

WebMD Healthy You Program: One of Chevron’s longest-running wellness offerings is the Healthy Heart coaching program from WebMD, which the company rebranded to the “Healthy You” program for 2021. Chevron encourages participants to first get caught up on lab tests and biometric screenings so they know their numbers before taking the WebMD survey. The 15-minute survey helps WebMD create a tailored plan of action based on the employee’s health and goals. Then the participant can download the WebMD Wellness At Your Side app to “create Daily Habit plans, work with a health coach, and use a variety of other online tools and personalized resources” to work towards those goals. (For many years, participants Could only talk to their WebMD coach via an old-fashioned telephone voice call.) Chevron has a couple of different rewards programs, but the main one seems to be connected to participation in this WebMD coaching program, which can earn participants a wellness credit: “The Wellness Credit is a premium reduction of up to $750 annually on qualifying Chevron-sponsored medical plan coverage premiums.” Site

Omada: Starting in January 2020, Chevron began offering Omada’s diabetes prevention program. Chevron pitches Omada as: “An online behavioral modification and digital care program designed to help individuals at risk for type 2 diabetes make gradual changes to the way they eat, move, sleep and manage stress.” Site

Rethink: Chevron offers employees Rethink’s services: “Parents caring for children with developmental disabilities or learning and behavior challenges can receive free, live teleconsultations with behavior experts to answer questions, and provide guidance and resources.” Since Rethink just acquired Whil, I’m curious to see if companies like Chevron add-on additional mental health offerings from Rethink as it broadens out beyond pediatric conditions. Site

Most of these Fortune 500 companies have different offerings for employees in other geographies.

The above, like my previous stack investigations, is really the US digital health stack. For Chevron, I found a flyer for a wellness program offered to Chevron’s Nigeria-based employees that was run by Virgin Pulse.

Well, that’s a wrap on Chevron’s stack. Some of these are easier to figure out than others (so no promises), but let me know which company’s digital health benefits you’d like to learn more about. And if you happen to work at a Fortune 500 company (and I know that’s a lot of you), then please send me your benefits information!

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