Issue 063
Digital health research from Brian Dolan

 E&O: Employers

Welcome back to E&O’s Selling to Employers, the enrollment-focused digital health newsletter from Exits & Outcomes — for paying subscribers only. This newsletter digs into digital health companies that sell to self-insured employers, fully insured plans, and other payers. It’s digital health as an employee benefit.

This edition of E&O: Employers includes a breakdown of a big company’s digital health-related benefits. If you’d like a quick summary of what E&O found in its analysis of the first 50+ BigCo benefits it dug into, check out this searchable, sortable database right here. Here are a few quick notes:

• Hinge Health tweaked its website last month to show that it now works with more than 45 health plans, PBMs, and ecosystem vendors. At the start of the year, it’s site said it worked with more than 40.
• Employer-focused substance use disorder virtual clinic Pelago, formerly known as Quit Genius, raised a $58 million Series C. It raised a $64 million Series B in 2021. The company told TechCrunch its revenue has grown 11x since its Series B. Pelago’s longtime investor Atomico wrote that the company’s revenue was up 287 percent in 2023 (assuming that’s y-o-y).
• Lyra expanded its relationship with China-based CIIC EAP to bring mental health services to its customers with employees in China. Lyra says 17 million people have access to its services via their employers now.
• News you know: Spring Health, which says 10 million currently have access to its services worldwide, acquired the assets of Bloom for an undisclosed sum earlier this month. The Bloom assets include 700 interactive, self-guided therapy tools.
• And… of course, the big news in employer-focused digital health these past few weeks has been the Peterson Health Technology Institute’s first report on Digital Diabetes Management Solutions. More on that below.

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).

What did you think of that Peterson Health Technology Institute report on digital diabetes?

The Peterson Health Technology Institute’s first assessment, which ripped into digital diabetes management solutions, landed with a bang last week. I’ve spent most of this past week talking to people about the report and plan to write an in-depth piece on it next week. Help me out. Do you have any thoughts on the report? Was it fair? Anything unexpected? How would you improve its methodology? Do you think “purchasers” (as PHTI calls them) will be less likely to adopt digital diabetes programs now? Feel free to hit reply to this newsletter or you can send me anonymous thoughts by filling out this Google Survey right over here.

Delta Air Lines’ employee benefits stack

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. In past 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,
• ExxonMobil,
• Amazon,
• Oracle,
• T-Mobile (revisited),
• General Mills (revisited),
• Kimberly-Clark,
• IBM,
• MassMutual,
• BorgWarner (revisited),
• Ford (revisited),
• Koch Industries,
• Wal-Mart (revisited)
• DuPont,
• UnitedHealth Group (revisited),
• The Coca-Cola Company,
• Anheuser-Busch InBev (Budweiser).

For this issue, I dug into Delta Air Lines’ employee benefits. Delta is a Fortune 500 that employs around 100,000 people. Its benefits package includes quite a few digital health programs.

Quantum Health for benefits navigation and some coaching

Delta tapped Quantum Health to help its employees navigate its many benefits. Quantum also offers various coaching programs, including tobacco cessation, as well as a nurse hotline.

Spring Health is Delta’s EAP “Delta’s EAP provides you with free and convenient access to mental health professionals. You and your household members have access to twelve free counseling sessions per issue… and 6 free coaching sessions per year through Spring Health 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.”

Verily’s Onduo for diabetes management Delta has tapped Google-owned Onduo for its diabetes program. Like many of its programs the company encourages employees to work through its benefits navigator Quantum Health to see if its a fit: “Onduo is a virtual care program that brings you tools, coaching and clinical support to help you take control of your diabetes. To determine whether Onduo is right for you, please contact Quantum Health to discuss your options for diabetes management.”

Transcarent and UnitedHealth’s COEs for surgical Centers of Excellence Delta uses two surgical COE companies — UnitedHealth for cancer and transplant-related surgeries and Transcarent for various other surgeries excluding those two: “Considering surgery? You deserve the best. That’s why Delta offers you access to Transcarent’s nationwide network of top-rated providers and pairs you with a Care Coordinator to manage the entire surgical process for you. With Transcarent, you pay $0 once you meet your deductible. Delta pays for the rest, so there’s no remaining coinsurance and out-of-pocket costs. Transcarent is available for the following types of surgery: bariatric, cardiac, general surgery, musculoskeletal, neurological, spinal and women’s health”

Accolade-owned 2nd.MD for second opinions “When you’re faced with a healthcare decision and not sure what treatment option is best, 2nd.MD can help. We connect you with board-certified, expert specialists from top medical institutions for a virtual second opinion via phone or video at the time and place that works for you. This service is at no additional cost to you and your family as part of your Delta medical coverage.”

Maven for maternity support “Maven provides on-demand virtual care, clinically informed content, and a supportive community for planning, starting, and raising a family. If you or your partner are thinking about or in the process of starting a family through pregnancy or other alternatives to parenthood.”

Progyny for fertility support “Progyny is a leading fertility and family building benefits solution. Progyny provides Delta employees with a comprehensive fertility and family building benefit that supports all paths to parenthood, including adoption and surrogacy. The Progyny benefit includes the equitable Smart Cycle design, concierge member support, access to a premier network of fertility specialists, and an integrated pharmacy solution.”

NoxHealth’s SleepCharge program for sleep health “Have trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep? Still tired even if you think you’re getting enough sleep? SleepCharge can help! Complete the Sleep Checkup and access the Sleep Life Learning Center. Those enrolled in a Delta Medical Plan can also receive virtual consultation, testing & diagnostics, and continuous virtual care for sleep disorders.”

Sharecare for wellness and mindfulness “Sharecare is your one-stop-shop to see all Delta Wellness benefits, earn and track rewards, as well as participate in Wellness programs to help you live a healthier life. Your journey on Sharecare begins by taking the RealAge Test, a science-based assessment that shows the true age of your body based on your behaviors and any pre-existing conditions.”

Grokker and Active&Fit Direct for fitness Delta also offers employees access to Grokker’s online library of 4,000 health and fitness videos plus access to a nationwide network of gyms via Active&Fit Direct — for a monthly fee. That’s a wrap on Delta’s benefits. Which big company benefits stack should I dig into next?

ICYMI: 87 Prices for Digital Health Programs in the E&O Pricing Database

ICYMI: The E&O Digital Health Pricing Database now includes prices for 87 digital health programs. Prices vary for different channels and years, so some programs have more than one entry. Let me know if any are missing that might be helpful and I’ll try to track them down. E&O subscribers can click here to check out pricing info for programs from Big Health, Spring Health, Omada Health, Onduo, Hello Heart, Virta Health, Teladoc/Livongo, Hinge Health, Sword Health, Lyra Health, Headspace Health, Fern Health, Wondr Health, Kaia Health and more! If this was forwarded to you and you’d like to become a paying subscriber — click here.

Links to E&O’s reports, databases, newsletters

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• Skim more than 300 past issues of E&O newsletters here.