NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Clinical healthcare company K Health announced today that the remote Primary Care program available on its platform now includes online medical weight management to treat obesity and help prevent related chronic conditions like hypertension and type 2 diabetes. K Health has partnered with leaders in the healthcare space to tackle chronic disease, most recently through its collaboration with Mayo Clinic Platform on the development of an artificial intelligence (AI) predictive model that uses Mayo Clinic data to help doctors optimize hypertension treatment. Its expansion into medical weight management is its next step in creating a first-in-kind Primary Care comprehensive solution to improve health in the U.S. and give millions access to high-quality, affordable doctors and care.
Obesity is an epidemic in the U.S. and can lead to other life-altering chronic conditions and some cancers. Between 65-78% of overweight people are at risk for hypertension, and 44% of type 2 diabetes cases are caused by obesity. While many attempt to manage obesity independently with lifestyle changes, more than half of diets fail, and safe, effective medical approaches have, until now, been lacking. With the recent FDA approvals and clinical trials of a new class of medications called glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists to target obesity and other related conditions, the millions struggling now have another option to tackle their disease and prevent others. People can sign up for a K Health membership and see if online medical weight management may be a good fit here.
“Having an accessible, safe solution for weight loss is doing much more than helping people shed pounds,” said Dr. Heather Martin, Medical Director of the Primary Care program at K Health and receiving weight loss treatment through K Health herself. “Obesity is just one part of someone's story. By coupling treatment with the Primary Care support crucial for managing and preventing chronic disease, clinicians practicing on the K Health platform can help people address the many areas required for a long, healthy life.”
K Health’s app-based Primary Care offering connects people to clinicians who can remotely support a variety of Primary Care needs beyond just chronic condition management, prevention, and treatment. This includes annual wellness visits, lab orders, prescriptions, unlimited 24/7 Urgent Care visits, referrals and more. All this is included in the K Health membership.
“Obesity has been considered a chronic condition for years, yet in my experience it’s often stigmatized and disassociated with what’s typically treated in the Primary Care setting,” said Ran Shaul, Chief Product Officer and Co-founder of K Health, and also receiving weight loss treatment through K Health. “By being able to remotely address my condition as part of my everyday health care, clinicians with K Health have not only helped me lose excess weight, they’ve also helped me address my risk for other illnesses that could be even more detrimental to my health.”
Primary Care clinicians practicing on the K Health platform are able to prescribe FDA-approved GLP-1 receptor agonists for medical weight loss, including Wegovy® (semaglutide) and Saxenda® (liraglutide). Together with their patients, clinicians create a personalized Care Plan to help test for and manage chronic conditions, track weight and vitals, manage medication and refills, make lifestyle changes, and more. To be eligible, clinicians conduct a strict screening process, which includes having a certain Body-Mass Index (BMI), the absence of certain medical conditions, and a history of unsuccessful weight loss with lifestyle modifications alone. If someone isn’t a good fit for weight loss medication, they can still use K Health to manage other areas of their health, including lifestyle changes and chronic disease, behavioral health, and urgent care needs.
K Health-affiliated clinicians will send a prescription for weight loss medication to an eligible member’s preferred pharmacy and work closely with them to help obtain prior authorization for the medication, if appropriate. Medication and lab tests are an additional cost. For more information or to sign up for a Primary Care membership, please visit khealth.com.
About K Health
K Health, headquartered in New York, is the clinical primary care platform on a mission to get everyone access to higher quality, affordable healthcare—whenever, wherever they need it. Named to the 2022 Fast Company World’s Most Innovative Companies list and the 2021 CNBC Disruptor 50 list, K Health is an app and web platform that uses AI to combine professional medical knowledge with patient clinical data, empowering doctors and users with information about the diagnoses and treatments of others with similar symptoms and conditions. It collaborates with leaders in the healthcare space, including Mayo Clinic Platform and Maccabi Healthcare Services, to develop models and create solutions for tackling the most dire health issues. K Health also offers, through affiliated professional entities, the option for text-based care from a clinician for less than a copay, no insurance needed. K Health treats hundreds of urgent and primary care conditions, as well as anxiety and depression, and offers remote custom treatment plans and mail-order prescriptions.
K Health has helped over six million people get access to higher quality and affordable care. K Health is available to employers and insurers through Hydrogen Health, an enterprise solution and joint venture between Elevance, Blackstone Growth, and K Health. It is available in all U.S. states, except Alaska and Hawaii. For more information, please visit www.khealth.com or download the app.
