Essence Healthcare Medicare Advantage Plan Members to Receive Oura Ring and Oura Membership at No Additional Cost

Health Plan Partnership with Wearable Health Tracker Empowers Seniors and Other Medicare Beneficiaries to Take Control of Their Health and Wellness

ST. LOUIS, Oct. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Essence Healthcare, a leading provider of Medicare Advantage (MA) plans, today announced a partnership with ŌURA, maker of Oura Ring, a cutting-edge wearable health tracker. As part of this partnership, Essence MA plan members will have access to ŌURA's advanced biometric tracking capabilities and award-winning app at no cost, empowering them to take control of their health and wellness.

Starting in 2025, certain Essence MA members will have the option to receive a complimentary Oura Ring and a subscription to the Oura App, which provides personalized insights by monitoring sleep, activity, and other key health metrics like heart health and stress resilience. Essence will be the first and only MA plan to offer this unique benefit, which aligns with its broader strategy of integrating digital health tools to enhance wellness, prevent illness, and improve the overall member experience.

"ŌURA and Essence share a deep commitment to empowering people to take charge of their health through the use of smart, innovative technology, so this partnership is a perfect fit and a natural next step in our healthcare evolution," said Jason Oberfest, VP of Healthcare at ŌURA. "Oura Members over the age of 65 are one of our most engaged groups, and we're eager to serve this population more broadly alongside a highly respected and trusted Medicare Advantage plan. Together, we're providing a game-changing solution that helps people live healthier, more informed lives."

The partnership marks a significant milestone in Essence's ongoing efforts to enhance the healthcare experience for its members through technology. By leveraging the ability of Oura Ring to track critical health metrics such as sleep patterns, heart rate, and activity levels, Essence aims to give members real-time insights into their well-being. These data-driven insights will empower members to engage more actively in their healthcare, fostering a greater sense of ownership over their health and providing them with the tools they need to make more informed lifestyle choices.

 "By equipping our members with Oura Ring, we're giving them the tools to proactively manage their health and make more informed decisions every day," said Jordan Reigel, president of Essence Healthcare. "For two decades, Essence has been at the forefront of innovation, dedicated to improving the lives of seniors and Medicare beneficiaries. This partnership with ŌURA is another bold step in our mission to deliver cutting-edge healthcare solutions that grow with our members' needs and set a new standard in personalized care."

Founded in 2004 and headquartered in St. Louis, Essence Healthcare is recognized for its innovative approach to care and its focus on patient-centered services. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has awarded Essence a 5-out-of-5-star Overall Plan Rating for three consecutive years (2022-2024), reflecting the health plan's dedication to quality, operational excellence, and customer satisfaction. Essence HMO plans (H2610 contract) achieved a 4.5-star rating for 2025, and its PPO plans (H6200 contract) achieved a 4-star Overall Plan Rating for 2025. Plans under Essence's H3189 and H4620 contracts don't have enough data to receive a Star rating.*

About ŌURA

ŌURA delivers personalized health data, insights, and daily guidance with Oura Ring, the leading smart ring that helps you live healthier, longer. Guided by a mission of changing the healthcare paradigm from sick care to preventative health, ŌURA makes wellness and recovery a daily practice through sleep, activity, readiness, stress, resilience, women's health, and heart health. Millions of Oura Members around the world use Oura Ring as a personalized health companion that meets them where they are.

ŌURA is building the most scientifically validated wearable; the lightweight and comfortable Oura Ring is validated against medical gold standards and driven by continuous monitoring of 50+ individual health and wellness biometrics and insights. Thousands of teams, research organizations, and concierge medical practices manage the health of their populations with ŌURA, and its ecosystem includes 800+ partners across women's health, metabolic health, fitness, behavioral health, and more. ŌURA was founded in 2013 in Finland and has offices in Oulu, Helsinki, San Francisco, and San Diego. For more information, please visit http://ouraring.com/ and connect with ŌURA on Instagram, Linkedin, and TikTok.

Oura Ring is not a medical device and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, monitor, or prevent medical conditions/illnesses.

About Essence Healthcare

Essence Healthcare provides over 60,000 people with Medicare comprehensive and affordable health insurance that focuses on wellness, care coordination and personal service. Essence's Medicare Advantage plans offer complete hospital, medical and prescription drug coverage and include additional benefits not covered under the Original Medicare program. Powered by the nation's leading population health services and technology of Lumeris, Essence is earning national recognition for its commitment to service and quality, including being consistently highly rated by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Essence HMO plans (H2610 contract) received a 5-out-of-5-star Overall Plan Rating for 2022-2024 and a 4.5-star rating for 2025. Essence PPO plans (H6200 contract) achieved a 4-star Overall Plan Rating for 2025. Plans under Essence's H3189 and H4620 contracts don't have enough data to receive a Star rating.* Essence was also named a Best Medicare Advantage Plan for Missouri and Illinois for 2021-2025 by U.S. News & World Report. In 2025 Essence's Medicare Advantage plans will be available in Illinois, Missouri, Arkansas, Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. To learn more about Essence Healthcare, please visit EssenceHealthcare.com.

*Every year, Medicare evaluates plans based on a 5-star rating system. Star ratings may vary by contract or market.

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SOURCE Essence Healthcare