Judi Health is expanding its list of clinical partners with the addition of Color Health, WellTheory and Cylinder.
Each of these organizations targets a key area of focus for employers and plan sponsors and will be immediately available to Judi Health's clients. Initially launching as pharmacy benefit manager Capital Rx about a decade ago, the company has invested in becoming an enterprise health solution that brings medical and pharmacy together.
Other partners already in the Judi fold include Sword Health and Progyny, the company said in an announcement.
Color Health operates the country's first virtual cancer clinic with certification from the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and cancer care is the top condition driving healthcare costs for many employers. WellTheory, meanwhile, offers a solution for managing autoimmune and inflammatory conditions.
Cylinder is a gastrointestinal health management program that was recently acquired by Hinge Health. Sara Izadi, chief clinical officer at Judi Health, told Fierce that bringing these solutions together through Judi's platform helps employers make them work in an integrated way.
Employers have become "accidental healthcare integrators" as they manage a wide array of solutions that don't necessarily work together, she said. Judi's approach aims to simplify that experience.
"I feel strongly that employers don't need another point solution," Izadi said. "They need a way to make these point solutions work together, and our platform really allows for the best access to best-class care while maintaining a unified administrative, clinical, and financial experience."
Through Judi's Unified Claims Processing technology, the team is able to support solutions across different types of benefits, including medical, pharmacy, vision and dental care. Members can also tap into Judi's care navigation platform to get a full view of available options.
That full, comprehensive view across benefits is a key part of the puzzle for Color, said Caroline Savello, the company's president, in an interview. As cancer costs climb overall, incorporating both pharmacy and medical is critical to monitoring and managing those expenses.
For example, it's not uncommon for an employer to be presented with details on just their highest-cost claimants, which can skew their perspective on broader spending trends, Savello said. A list like that would overrepresent individuals who received a pricey treatment, such as CAR-T, more so than those with lower one-off costs but more consistent spend.
"I think that's what's been very interesting about the conversations with Judi, and where they see it too," she said. "Let's think of like the whole stack here, since oncology costs are climbing overall."
Izadi said the team at Judi is also continuing to evaluate potential partners to bring into the fold. One area that's on watch, she said, is respiratory care, as conditions like asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease can drive significant costs and require complex management.
"Most healthcare organizations are trying to manage specialty or cost that has already appeared by connecting pharmacy, medical, clinical intervention programs," she said. "We're identifying opportunities early to support members before they required the intensive care."