One Medical, a concierge medical provider, is making a stronger play for the digital chronic care management market with a new program for members and employers.
The company's program, called Impact by One Medical, combines 24/7 virtual support, access to in-person care and technology integrations with connected devices and wearables such as Apple HealthKit and Fitbit to help members manage existing conditions, according to the company.
The company is entering a competitive market with many digital health and health tech companies, such as Livongo and Lark Health, targeting the high-need chronic disease population with the aim of lowering costs and improving outcomes.
One Medical says it takes a differentiated approach by integrating its program within primary care.
“Chronic illness is among the leading causes of death in America, with over 50% of Americans living with a chronic illness. Yet, our healthcare system has been more focused on developing point solutions like virtual-only monitoring tools and treating those that become critically ill rather than developing cohesive intervention solutions within a primary care setting,” said Raj Behal, M.D., One Medical's chief quality officer, in a statement.
“At One Medical, we’ve always recognized the importance of prevention as well as management of chronic conditions. As we will soon be in markets reaching nearly 40% of the U.S. population, we have an opportunity to continue making a real-world difference with our comprehensive approach, which can reduce the rising costs and hospitalizations caused by chronic illness," Behal said.
One Medical already provides some programs for chronic illnesses and recently demonstrated outsized results in diabetes and HIV.
Patients in the Impact by One Medical program have access to multidisciplinary care teams that include their primary care provider, health and wellness coaches and care navigators along with a suite of educational materials including lifestyle tips, online resources, digital health tools and group classes customized to each patient’s needs.
One Medical has developed integrations of its proprietary technology platform to allow patients to share health data from their own digital monitoring devices directly with their providers. Further, providers get direct access to patient data such as glucose levels, blood pressure and daily step counts, to make medication and treatment plan adjustments in real time.
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The move to focus more sharply on chronic care management could signal a shift for the company, which went public in January 2020. Four months ago, One Medical announced plans to acquire Iora Health, another primary care competitor focused on Medicare patients, in a $2.1 billion deal.
As One Medical has largely focused on care for the commercially insured, a union with Iora Health will broaden its reach into the Medicare space and expand its focus on patients spanning different age ranges.
During a recent earnings call, Amir Dan Rubin, CEO of One Medical, said the company plans to take its core strengths and apply them to further serve the senior population in risk-bearing programs in Medicare through the proposed deal with Iora Health.
"Together, we will expand our addressable market to serve more members in more geographies with digital and in-person care across every stage of life, with further capabilities to deliver care within full-risk models. Together with Iora Health, we can deliver better health, better care and lower costs for children, adults and seniors," Rubin said.