The Midwest Health Purchasers Collaborative (MHPC), a nonprofit employer purchasing organization, has teamed up with Vida Health, a virtual obesity and metabolic health provider, to offer employers obesity care.
MHPC is part of the Midwest Business Group on Health, which represents 90 employers and over 4 million lives. MHPC identifies and manages purchasing opportunities to maximize the value of an employer’s health benefits spending.
Through the partnership, members of MHPC can access Vida’s obesity care solutions. Vida’s model combines behavior change and prescribing to treat obesity and related conditions like diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety and depression.
The company offers access to a team that includes obesity medicine-certified physicians, registered dietitians, coaches and licensed therapists. Patients receive personalized treatment, weekly video chats with coaches and therapists, consultations with prescribing physicians, progress tracking and other services.
MHPC has several other preferred partners in addition to Vida Health, including Inspera Health to support those with chronic conditions and Carrum Health for cancer care. The organization chose to partner with Vida because obesity management is a top priority for employers.
“Part of the value of the MHPC is that we offer our employer members access to vetted and discounted programs that help employees manage obesity, address related health conditions, and support behavioral health needs,” said Cheryl Larson, president and CEO of the Midwest Business Group on Health, in an email. “Our MHPC employer board helps us identify areas where our members are seeking products and services. The board and staff research best practices, get feedback from members using these vendors and we then choose those best suited to meet their needs.”
The partnership comes as many employers are struggling to manage the costs of GLP-1s, which have proven effective in weight loss but come with a hefty price tag. Vida Health can prescribe GLP-1s when it’s clinically appropriate but prioritizes lifestyle interventions before introducing medications. In fact, about 76% percent of Vida Health’s patients opt for a lower-cost alternative to a GLP-1, and 62% start with behavior change alone, according to the announcement.
“We’re seeing some progression with these medications, and Vida is very well positioned to take a very comprehensive approach in a clinically appropriate, financially prudent manner that is very thoughtful and well-rounded to meet not just one need of an individual, but a mix of different needs that that individual might have,” said Jason Parrott, senior vice president of growth and partnership at Vida Health, in an interview. “We take an individualized approach.”
Several other digital health companies also offer obesity care, including Omada Health, Virta Health and Teladoc.
Photo: mikdam, Getty Images
