Omada Health has signed on with Optum Rx to join the Weight Engage program, further strengthening the company’s ability to serve more people in need of cardiometabolic care and support.
The leading pharmacy benefits manager, one of the Big 3 companies in the industry, launched this program in response to the demand for GLP-1. Patients seeking GLP-1 drugs face patchy coverage and often face barriers.
Optum said in the post that compliance can be a challenge, as some patients may face unpleasant side effects or become unresponsive to the drug. Therefore, it will be important to implement a more comprehensive and comprehensive model to support their efforts, PBMs said.
That’s where Omada comes in. Optum is also collaborating with Calibrate and Virta Health under this 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 journey, support long-term care pathways, and promote adherence.
Omada said they can prescribe GLP-1 to patients “in a clinically supervised manner” and connect them with support programs designed to meet their needs.
“Access and affordability are major concerns, not just for people suffering from obesity and other cardiometabolic diseases,” Xiao said.
He said this partnership and the broader program are a major win for employers who are hungry for solutions to meet the demands and expectations of their employees. Additionally, many of these companies may end up making unsatisfactory coverage decisions due to a lack of options through health insurance or PBMs.
By partnering with Optum Rx, Omada now has relationships with three of the largest companies in the space, increasing the potential options available to these employers.
“What is universally true is that many of them are still not completely satisfied with the decisions they have made,” Hsiao said. Many of these companies “want to cover[GLP-1]but can’t really find the right path.”
He said the expanded reach will also support Omada’s growth trajectory, putting its tools in front of more employers. Shao said the demand is there and they’re seeing interest spread to other products, such as the recently launched cholesterol management program.
“What matters is whether we can deliver incremental value and innovation, engagement and outcomes to our members,” he said.
