Omada Health has signed up with Optum Rx to participate in its Weight Engage program, increasing the company’s ability to expand its offerings to reach more people in need of cardiometabolic care and support.
The pharmacy benefit management giant, which is one of the industry’s Big Three companies, launched the program in response to demand for GLP-1, as patients seeking these drugs face spotty coverage and often a tangle of barriers along the way.
Optum said in a post That adherence can also be a challenge, as some patients may face uncomfortable side effects or not respond to medications. That makes having a more holistic and comprehensive model to support your journey crucial, the PBM said.
That’s where Omada comes in. Optum is also working with Calibrate and Virta Health under the program, according to the announcement.
Omada President Wei-Li Shao said in an interview with Fierce Healthcare that the company’s platform aims to fill gaps in the patient care process to support that long-term care pathway and promote adherence.
Omada can prescribe GLP-1 to patients “on a clinically supervised basis” and then connect them to a support program designed to meet their needs, he said.
“Access and affordability are big concerns not only for people with obesity and other cardiometabolic conditions,” Shao said.
He said the partnership and broader program is a big win for employers who are desperate to find solutions to meet the demands and expectations of their workforces. Additionally, many of these companies lack options through their health plan or PBM, so they may make coverage decisions that they are ultimately dissatisfied with.
By partnering with Optum Rx, Omada now has relationships with the three largest companies in this space, increasing the potential pool of options for these employers to choose from.
“One thing is certain: many of them are still not completely satisfied with the decision they have made,” Shao said. Many of these companies “want to cover [GLP-1s] But I can’t find the right way.”
The expanded reach also supports Omada on its growth trajectory and puts the company’s tools within the reach of even more employers, he said. The demand is there, Shao said, and they have seen interest extend to other products, such as the recently launched cholesterol management program.
“It’s really about the ability to deliver more and more value and innovation, engagement and results to our members,” he said.
