Carrum Health and Virta Health launched an exclusive partnership on Tuesday that brings a weight management solution to self-funded employers.
San Francisco-based Carrum Health offers a value-based specialty care Centers of Excellence solution for self-insured employers. Virta Health, based in Denver, is a digital health company that works with payers and employers and offers nutrition support and medication prescribing if necessary.
Through the partnership, Virta’s weight management services will be integrated with Carrum’s surgical care. For example, patients often need to lose weight before a knee replacement or other musculoskeletal surgery. In this case, Carrum members can be referred to Virta for virtual counseling, nutrition coaching and access to GLP-1s when appropriate.
On the flip side, Virta members who are in need of bariatric surgery can also be referred to Carrum for support.
According to Carrum Health, this partnership addresses a major pain point for employers: fragmented care.
“Employers do not want five point solutions that don’t talk to each other. They want coordinated care that actually works for employees. Some members need nutrition coaching, some benefit from medication, while others ultimately need bariatric surgery. The problem is those options often live in silos. Innovation in benefits is not about adding more vendors. It is about designing a system that works. Now, we’ve created a pathway where members can move from conservative care to surgical evaluation when appropriate, without starting over each time,” said Matt Eurey, chief commercial officer at Carrum Health, in an email.
Currently, more than 40% of adults in the U.S. struggle with obesity. In 2023, obesity cost U.S. businesses about $425.5 billion due to $146.5 billion in excess medical costs and $243 billion in lost productivity in the workplace.
GLP-1s have surfaced as an effective treatment option, but are costly and aren’t always prescribed with the right wraparound support. The drugs represent more than 10% of total annual insurance claims for employers.
This is what the partnership aims to change.
“Sustainable weight management requires more than a prescription,” said Laura Walmsley, Virta’s chief commercial officer, in a statement. “Our model starts with individualized nutrition therapy, using GLP-1s and other evidence-based therapies thoughtfully and only when clinically appropriate. By joining forces with Carrum, we will be able to offer members the full spectrum of metabolic care: thoughtful medication management, intensive behavioral support and surgical pathways when needed, all coordinated to help patients achieve durable health improvements.”
Other weight management companies include Omada Health and knownwell, while other specialty care companies include Lantern and Transcarent.
Photo: mikdam, Getty Images
