Santa Clara Family Health Plan (SCFHP) has selected Yes Health, a diabetes prevention startup, to provide care to at-risk Medi-Cal members for no cost, the organizations announced Monday.
Medi-Cal members over the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with prediabetes or are at risk of prediabetes are eligible for Yes Health’s program. The Mill Valley, California-based company is recognized by the CDC and provides concierge health coaching and services for weight loss and diabetes prevention, all through its app. After taking a short quiz, SCFHP members will receive a personalized plan — created by the company’s dietitians, nutritionists, fitness experts and psychologists — to improve their health. The app also offers an AI-powered service where members can take pictures of their meals to receive guidance on how to make them healthier.
Alex Petrov, CEO of Yes Health, said the benefit of the program is that members can receive guidance at any time of the day, rather than attend planned sessions with professionals.
“Instead of sitting in a classroom or being on a zoom session or being on a phone call, we’re saying, ‘Walk through your day and when you come to the moment where you need to make a decision — healthy or unhealthy — take a picture or send us a text.’ We will help you make the right decisions,” Petrov said in an interview.
SCFHP chose to contract with Yes Health because of the convenience it offers members, said Dr. Laurie Nakahira, chief medical officer of the insurer.
“At SCFHP, we firmly believe that everyone should have access to opportunities to be healthy, so we strive to introduce programs that both easily fit within our members’ lives and continuously encourage them to be stewards of their own health,” Nakahira said in a news release. “Yes Health’s fully mobile program provides the convenience of a virtual diabetes prevention program our most at-risk members can use to lose weight and feel healthy.”
Yes Health is in a unique position to care for Medi-Cal members, Petrov declared. Many of these members may be working multiple jobs and need on-the-go support, instead of scheduled sessions with health experts. The company also offers its services in Spanish for those who may be experiencing a language barrier.
“The populations you’re dealing with are really populations that have specific needs, limited time and location flexibility … We fit into the lifestyle of those users,” Petrov said.
The company has proven to achieve results. Members earn a 6% body weight reduction on average, and 87% of members complete the program, according to a Yes Health fact sheet.
Other companies in the diabetes prevention space include Omada and Livongo.
Photo: noipornpan, Getty Images
