Solera Health, a technology company, has expanded its HALO Platform to include virtual specialty care, the company announced Wednesday.

Phoenix, Arizona-based Solera Health is a digital health company that works with payers and employers to help match members and employees to point solutions. Its new HALO Platform — which was launched in October — helps customers manage all of their contracted point solutions in one place, whether they’re part of Solera’s network or their own contracted solutions. Employees or members are also able to access all of their benefits through one web-based interface, which will ask questions to understand the care they need and then direct them to the correct point solution.

The new virtual specialty care offering on the Halo Platform is supported in partnership with 9amHealth, Vori Health and Oshi Health. San Diego, California-based 9amHealth offers cardiometabolic care for those with diabetes, obesity and co-conditions. Vori Health, based in Nashville, Tennessee, supports those with back or joint pain through non-operative care, including from specialty medical doctors, physical therapists, health coaches and nutritionists. New York City-based Oshi Health is a virtual digestive health center that treats gastrointestinal conditions.

“In our pursuit of a virtual specialty practice, we identified three critical areas of initial focus — cardiometabolic, orthopedic, and digestive solutions. 9amHealth, Oshi, and Vori have innovative multidisciplinary care models that support the patient holistically,” said Ed Liebowitz, chief product officer of Solera Health, in an email. “All have demonstrated significant clinical impact and are backed by leading clinicians delivering evidence-based care.”

Liebowitz added that many of these conditions are costly and challenging to receive treatment for.

“Specialists are notoriously difficult for individuals to gain access to — both because of its high cost and a shortage of practitioners in many geographies,” Liebowitz said. “By providing a virtual option in some of the arenas of greatest need, we reduce the friction to care while dramatically reducing cost.”

Other companies in Solera’s network that are on the Halo Platform include WeightWatchers for weight management, Sword Health for musculoskeletal conditions and Headspace for mental health.

By offering virtual specialty care services on the Halo Platform, Solera ultimately aims to “serve as an integrator for a fractured, inefficient health system and experience — creating a new entry point into the care continuum at a lower cost,” Liebowitz said.

Solera’s expansion of Halo comes at a time when many employers and payers are battling point solution fatigue and are struggling to balance the multitude of digital health solutions available. Other companies that help employers manage point solution fatigue include Accolade and Quantum Health, which both have a network of various digital health vendors.

Source: https://medcitynews.com/2024/01/virtual-specialty-care-point-solutions/