WHA Innovations for Clinical Provider Support
by WHA’s Dr. Khuram Arif, Chief Medical Officer
WHA is pleased to share our newest clinical programs and a nutrition counseling benefit designed to give clinical providers more tools to offer WHA patients. In 2022, we are expanding our services, but with a keen focus on conditions our employers and clinical providers want to support. These include obesity, eating disorders, malnutrition, hypertension, and acute/chronic pain.
WHA's New Nutrition Counseling Benefit is first among health plans in our area to offer this type of benefit. It requires prior authorization and covers visits to a nutritionist for obesity, eating disorders and malnutrition. Physician leaders helped WHA design this first-to-market benefit.
Teladoc's Livongo for Hypertension is a program for home blood pressure monitoring and coaching. This no-cost-to-member program helps those diagnosed with hypertension better control their high blood pressure by providing a remotely connected blood pressure monitor and app. Lifestyle coaches monitor high blood pressure readings and connect with members when personalized advice is needed. Members can track blood pressure and share readings and actions taken with their doctor.
Virtual Physical Therapy with Kaia for acute and chronic pain. Also, at no-cost-to-members, those enrolled in this program receive physical therapy through their mobile phone or tablet. Members with acute or chronic pain receive artificial intelligence driven physical therapy instruction and monitoring. Musculoskeletal pain can respond well with timely physical therapy, but access to in-person therapy and time for travel to appointments may get in the way. This innovative new technology is designed by orthopedists and physical therapists and shows real promise for helping engage members in driving their care, conveniently.
In addition to these new benefits for 2022, last year we launched Virta Health for Diabetes Type 2 Reversal and saw enrolled members decreasing or eliminating 54% of their diabetes medications. Virta supplies glucometers, ketone meters, and testing strips for as long as WHA members remain enrolled.
The pandemic spurred a historic revolution in the culture of healthcare. Patients like the convenience and autonomy available by using smart health technology. And, clinical providers are looking for dynamic tools to help patients who want to drive their own health care experience. WHA prides itself on innovating early and differently by leveraging our flexibility and nimbleness to bring more services to our members faster than the competition and at a lower cost.
These 2022 clinical programs and wellness benefits are available to your eligible group plan patients and are detailed in this WHA Wellness Flyer. Please feel free to print and share with patients.