Lark Health Extends Relationship with HealthPartners

Contract expands Lark's Diabetes Management Program to more members

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Feb 19, 2020, 09:01 ET

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Lark Health, the leading chronic disease prevention and management platform, announced the continuation of a contract with HealthPartners after a pilot period.

More than 30 million Americans are affected by diabetes, which is the seventh-leading cause of death and the most costly medical condition in the country. Diabetes costs the nation an estimated $327 billion annually in direct medical costs and indirect costs, such as lost or reduced productivity in the workforce. In Minnesota, nearly 8 percent of adults have been diagnosed with diabetes, with the total estimated cost of diabetes coming in at $4.7 billion dollars per year, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. "Diabetes is an extremely common, costly, and inconvenient challenge facing millions of individuals today," said Lark CEO and co-founder Julia Hu. "By working with partners like HealthPartners, we can provide more people with personalized care to drive better health outcomes, reduce costs, and help solve this growing health crisis."

HealthPartners supports and guides members who have diabetes by offering a range of services, including telephonic nurse support, telephonic health coaching, medication management and cost estimator tools, provider cost and quality evaluation tools, and digital health information. Lark's Diabetes Management Program adds to this suite of services, offering convenient personal guidance that is available to commercial members anytime, anywhere.

This partnership follows a year of momentum for Lark, including becoming the first digital health company to demonstrate clinical results on the effectiveness of its programs across all of Diabetes, Hypertension, and Prediabetes. A study of Lark's Diabetes Management Program this year found that members achieved a significant reduction in A1c levels of 1.1 points after just four months. A reduction of 1 point in A1c resulted in a 43 percent lower rate of diabetes-related complications according to a study in the Journal of Managed Care & Specialty Pharmacy. Participants in a study of Lark's Hypertension Management Program saw an average blood pressure reduction of 8.4/6.4 mm Hg at six months. Reducing blood pressure by 5 mm Hg is estimated to reduce the risk of stroke mortality by 14 percent and save health plans $1,037 per member per year, according to a study in the Journal of Hypertension.

About Lark
Lark Health is the leading integrated chronic disease prevention and management platform, using proven AI, expert coaching, and smart connected devices to deliver better health outcomes at scale. Lark uses cutting edge conversational AI and connected health monitors to provide real-time, one-on-one counseling to help members make healthier choices, manage their conditions, and when necessary reach expert nurses and coaches to make changes to medication or handle a significant blood sugar event, for example. Lark's Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), Behavioral Health Program, Diabetes Care Program, and Hypertension Program have served nearly 2 million members, and have demonstrated clinically validated outcomes. Lark's DPP, which is the fastest growing and lowest cost DPP, has received CDC Full Recognition. Lark works with many of the largest health plans, PBMs, and self-insured employers to help their members live healthier lives. Founded by CEO Julia Hu in 2011, the company was named "Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the World" alongside Uber and AirBnB, and Google's "Best of the Year". To learn more, visit www.lark.com.

About HealthPartners
HealthPartners is the largest consumer-governed, non-profit health care organization in the nation with a mission to improve health and well-being in partnership with members, patients and the community. For more information, visit healthpartners.com.

CONTACT:
Cameron Jacox
Lark Health
[email protected]

SOURCE Lark Health