BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Today, FORM, the virtual obesity medicine clinic, officially launched FORMfitTM, a new program helping employers expand access to high-quality, clinical obesity care while managing costs. The past year has seen surging consumer demand for and rapid adoption of expensive GLP-1 receptor agonists like OzempicⓇ and WegovyⓇ. As a result, many employers have seen their pharma costs skyrocket and, in response, moved to completely restrict access to these highly effective drugs to control costs. FORM developed its proprietary offering, FORMfit, to allow employers to expand access to high-impact obesity care while investing in GLP-1s at a level that aligns with their short and long-term goals and budget constraints.
Employers looking to control cost can leverage FORMfit to manage GLP-1 eligibility while also providing a high-impact obesity solution that utilizes lower-cost medications or no medication. Employers looking to invest in GLP-1s can offer employees comprehensive wrap-around clinical care from FORM that maximizes weight loss results and their ROI. FORMfit allows employers to ensure that all employees with obesity have access to best-in-class, specialized clinical care rather than cutting off access due to budgetary constraints.
“With nearly half of American adults impacted by obesity and obesity care costs exploding, employers are compelled to find a solution that helps them offer meaningful obesity care and expanded medication access to their employees while managing costs. Our new proprietary offering, FORMfit, does just that,” said Evan Richardson, founder & CEO of FORM. “We founded FORM to help people take control of their health and we’re proud to have helped thousands of patients lose weight and develop healthy long-term habits. Employers are searching for tools to solve this growing challenge. With FORMfit, benefits leaders across the country will be able to maintain or expand medication access and deliver outstanding care, while avoiding out-of-control costs.”
To get started with FORMfit, employers provide insight into current anti-obesity medication (AOM) utilization, short-term and long-term goals, and budget considerations along with any additional relevant information. FORM uses this information and the proprietary FORMfit approach designed by clinical experts and rooted in established clinical obesity tools to customize an obesity medicine approach. FORMfit helps employers deliver individually appropriate treatment plans while curbing sky-rocketing GLP-1 costs, maximizing every dollar spent on obesity, and driving long-term healthcare savings.
The impact of obesity is staggering as it affects over 42% of US adults and drives a significant percentage of US healthcare spending. It has been recognized as a disease by the American Medical Association since 2013, but many employers and insurers still don’t provide coverage for evidence-based obesity treatment. Healthcare costs for an individual with high BMI are more than twice those for an individual with a BMI in the normal range with costs increasing significantly with class of obesity.
Evidence-based treatment can help patients achieve sustained weight loss and improved health, but access to care is limited. The American Board of Obesity Medicine (ABOM) certifies physicians with specialized knowledge in the practice of obesity medicine, but there are only around 5k ABOM-certified physicians, mostly concentrated in urban areas with long wait times for new patients. Another hurdle to care is that many employer health plans and Medicare do not cover highly effective GLP-1 receptor agonist medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and MounjaroⓇ given the high cost and need for long-term use to treat the chronic condition of obesity.
FORM is a virtual obesity medicine clinic taking an entirely unique approach and pioneering an obesity medicine model that is physician-led and patient-focused. Patients work 1:1 with a dedicated Care Team that provides comprehensive medical treatment, intensive lifestyle intervention including behavioral support, and FDA-approved medication, if appropriate. FORM physicians provide medical oversight throughout the patient’s weight loss journey which includes treatment of weight-related comorbidities in addition to medication management. FORM is in network with national carriers, so services are billed to a patient’s health insurance.
A recent impact study showed that FORM patients achieve and sustain meaningful weight loss along with improvements in lifestyle and overall health. On average, across a range of anti-obesity medications including GLP-1s and low-cost medications like metformin, FORM patients lose 16% of their starting body weight in 18 months and 13% in 12 months.
- As expected, patients prescribed GLP-1 medications lost the most, losing 17% of their starting body weight at 18 months and 14% at 12 months on average.
- Patients on low-cost medications also achieved clinically significant weight loss, losing 12% of their starting body weight at 18 months and 9% at 12 months.
- Patients who were not prescribed any medication lost 9% of their starting body weight at 12 months.
- 14% of FORM patients were diagnosed with weight-related conditions like sleep apnea and high blood pressure that had previously gone untreated. These diagnoses allowed patients to receive appropriate care, either from their FORM team or an appropriate specialist.
- 17% of FORM patients were able to stop previous medications like high blood pressure medication or antidepressants as a result of improved health with weight loss from their FORM treatment.
Florencia Halperin, M.D., Chief Medical Officer of FORM added, “Obesity is a chronic condition that nearly half of Americans struggle with. Treating it effectively requires medical supervision and an evidence-based personalized care plan to help patients lose weight and develop a healthier lifestyle. FORMFit allows employers to give employees access to our effective clinical care model and include the newest highly effective medications as an option for the most appropriate patients, while also managing cost.”
To get started with FORMfit, interested parties can contact FORM at employers@formhealth.co.
About FORM
FORM is the virtual obesity medicine clinic empowering patients with obesity to take control of their health. Founded in 2019, FORM provides each patient with a clinical Care Team consisting of a dedicated board-certified doctor and a Registered Dietitian who develop a personalized weight loss plan that includes a prescription for FDA-approved weight loss medication, if appropriate. Patients use the FORM app to meet with their Care Team for frequent video visits, message their Team between visits, track weight, and engage in educational resources. FORM is covered by most major insurance plans, including Medicare. Learn more at https://www.formhealth.co/.
