Blue Shield of California's Wellvolution Unveils New Features for Type 2 Diabetes Members to Take Control of Their Health

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LOS ANGELES, April 6, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Shield of California is enhancing its popular Wellvolution program by adding two new services that provide personalized care and nutrition support for members living with or at risk for Type 2 diabetes. Wellvolution is a digitally based lifestyle medicine and health platform that can be personalized to each member's individual health needs and preferences. The platform, including these expanded programs, is available to plan members at no additional cost.

The new services include a digital health tool that enables members to engage in shared-decision making with their care team and a fresh-food delivery service for eligible members.

"With these new, unique self-service tools, we are further improving access to care and strengthening our members' ability to prevent, treat or reverse chronic conditions that impact their daily lives," said Angie Kalousek, senior director, Lifestyle Medicine at Blue Shield of California.

Wellvolution New Offerings and Programs Empower Members:

Care Compass empowers members to take control of their health
Through this shared decision-making tool, powered by WiserCare, members with Type 2 diabetes are provided with the support they need to build a personalized treatment plan. With Care Compass, eligible members can quickly and easily share information – such as their target blood sugar, a plan for lifestyle treatments and understanding of medications – with their physicians, family, and friends to help them manage their care.

"Care Compass helps members learn about their options, express their goals and preferences for treatment, and work with their care team to develop a plan that works for them," said Arul Thangavel, M.D., CEO of WiserCare. "Our work has shown us that members are up to 40 percent more likely to follow through on their treatment plans when they take a more active role in their decisions, which can make all the difference in managing chronic conditions like diabetes. We are excited to collaborate with Blue Shield to make this tool available for members." 

Betr Health's meal delivery helps members with food insecurity
One of the most successful digital programs within Wellvolution, Betr Health now provides eligible, low-income members who have diabetes with up to six months of healthy meals to help them follow their diabetes-prescribed diets and reverse their chronic conditions.

Betr Health's digital program – designed for all members but especially important for people with diabetes – helps members monitor food intake, weight, and blood-sugar levels. The tool is backed by professional health coaches and an online support community.

"Many people with diabetes face stark racial health disparities," noted Kalousek. "These disparities are often linked to community health and social determinants of health, which Black and Hispanic populations experience at higher rates.  Some people at high risk of developing Type 2 diabetes live in neighborhoods that have limited access to grocery stores, which can cause food insecurity or limit one's ability to maintain a nutritious diet. Also, people living in those under-resourced communities do not always have adequate access to health care."

"Betr Health is teaching me how to eat in a healthier, cleaner way.  I am now snacking on vegetables, and before I was eating junk food. After two and a half weeks, I lost nine pounds," said Maria Diliani, member of Blue Shield of California. "I like the delivery meal plan because it helps me easily prepare delicious food that my family really likes. My coach communicates with me daily to provide support as part of this team effort."

"I am only in my third day on this program and already lost more than four pounds. Betr Health's meals are so easy to make for both lunch and dinner," said Sonia Fuentes, Blue Shield of California and Betr Health member. "I'm grateful that my insurance company is helping me out with this food program."

Wellvolution delivers results for members with Type 2 diabetes
Wellvolution is proving to be a vital tool for Blue Shield customers living with or at risk for Type 2 diabetes: 81 percent of members in our diabetes care program use Betr Health and VirtaHealth, our highest-performing Wellvolution tools.

Betr Health is a diabetes treatment and reversal program that helps members control blood sugar without medications through nutrition science and remote care from physicians and behavioral experts.

Diabetes Trends:
Most adults in California have prediabetes or diabetes. Nearly half of California adults, including one out of every three young adults, have either prediabetes – a precursor to Type 2 diabetes – or undiagnosed diabetes, according to a study released by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

According to the National Diabetes Statistics Report for 2020 diabetes in the United States was highest among American Indian (14.7 percent), Hispanic origin (12.5 percent), and Blacks (11.7 percent), followed by Asians (9.2 percent) and Non-Hispanics whites (7.5 percent). 

Wellvolution is a digitally based lifestyle medicine and health platform that can be personalized to each of its member's individual health needs and preferences. Created in collaboration with Solera Health, Wellvolution provides members guided on-demand access to a tailored network of clinically proven applications using lifestyle to prevent, treat and even reverse disease. It is available to most Blue Shield members with their benefit plan at no additional cost, and is an example of how the nonprofit health plan is reimagining health for individuals, families and communities.

About Blue Shield of California
Blue Shield of California strives to create a healthcare system worthy of its family and friends that is sustainably affordable. Blue Shield of California is a tax paying, nonprofit, independent member of the Blue Shield Association with over 4.5 million members, over 7,500 employees and more than $21 billion in annual revenue. Founded in 1939 in San Francisco and now headquartered in Oakland, Blue Shield of California and its affiliates provide health, dental, vision, Medicaid and Medicare healthcare service plans in California. The company has contributed more than $150 million to Blue Shield of California Foundation in the last four years to have an impact on California communities.

For more news about Blue Shield of California, please visit news.blueshieldca.com.

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CONTACT:    
Mashi Nyssen
Blue Shield of California    
510-607-2359
[email protected] 

SOURCE Blue Shield of California

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