Wisp, a virtual provider of sexual and reproductive healthcare, is teaming up with the food-as-medicine startup Nourish to offer Wisp's users access to nutrition counseling services.
Patients enrolled in Wisp’s weight care program can now access personalized nutrition counseling from Nourish, available via insurance or an exclusive discount for cash-pay. Nourish patients will also receive an exclusive discount for prescription and OTC products through Wisp. The goal is to make it easier for women seeking total weight management care.
Wisp has considered introducing nutrition planning before, Monica Cepak, CEO of Wisp, told Fierce Healthcare. “This has been something that’s come up [with patients],” she said. “We’re providing patients with an additional tool in their toolbox.”
Nourish will pair Wisp patients with a registered dietitian who will provide them with a personalized care plan, actionable coaching and progress tracking. Nourish offers medically tailored meals, sessions with registered dietitians and educational support through its mobile app, which also allows patients to track meals and log their progress. In the past, the company has boasted that it sees a 25% decrease in eating disorder symptoms within the first 30 days, a 23% reduction in LDL cholesterol in at-risk patients, an average weight loss of 5% for patients with >30 BMI and a 1 percentage point reduction in hemoglobin A1c.
“Personalized nutrition is a critical piece of the puzzle for sustainable weight care, especially for patients using GLP-1 medications. Proper guidance from a registered dietitian can help patients optimize their nutrition, manage side effects, and achieve lasting health improvements,” Aidan Dewar, co-founder and CEO of Nourish, said in the announcement. “This partnership with Wisp allows us to combine our expertise in food as medicine with their innovative weight care program, empowering women to take a holistic approach to their health and wellness.”
Experts say proper nutrition is particularly important for people taking GLP-1s for weight loss. A personalized plan can help manage dietary needs and potential side effects, like nutrient deficiencies. Wisp patients can also choose to use Nourish services and not be on GLP-1s through Wisp’s weight care program. The future goal, in the second phase of the partnership pilot, is for Wisp plans to think more deeply about how to coordinate care with Nourish, Cepak said.
Nourish, founded in 2021 and a Y Combinator alum, works with major payers including Aetna, Cigna, United, Blue Cross Blue Shield, Medicare and Medicaid. It says 94% of its patients are able to access care for $0 out-of-pocket. Earlier this year, the startup raised $35 million in series A funding, backed by Index Ventures, Y Combinator and Thrive Capital.
Wisp serves more than 1.3 million patients in all 50 states today. Its weight care offering, launched in October, offers several GLP-1 medications and an over-the-counter natural weight loss supplement exclusive to Wisp. The vertical is one of the company’s most successful, Wisp claims, and it plans to bring on additional partners and products to grow it further. That program is currently live in 23 states, with the goal of expanding to all 50 states by early next year. Nourish, meanwhile, is available nationwide.
“We’re really excited to see how this partnership does because I think it offers a much more holistic approach to weight management,” Cepak said.