Medical Mutual Combines A.I. Digital Health Coaching from Lark with Live Care Management Support to Boost Population Health Benefits

CLEVELAND and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Feb. 10, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Medical Mutual, the oldest and one of the largest health insurance companies based in Ohio, and Lark Health today announced that Medical Mutual is integrating Lark's A.I.-based chronic disease prevention and management programs into its population health model. This creates personalized support customized to a member's health and engagement preferences that leverages Lark's digital platform and Medical Mutual's live, nurse-led care management resources. This innovative integration creates more opportunities to help Medical Mutual's 1.6 million members reduce preventable health risks and manage ongoing chronic conditions through a comprehensive care ecosystem that includes Lark's personalized and clinically validated offerings. Medical Mutual members now have access to personalized, 24/7 digital coaching support, along with telephonic support from Medical Mutual's Care Management nurses.

Lark is based on a cognitive behavioral therapy framework and combines conversational A.I. with connected devices, such as wireless glucometers and blood pressure cuffs, to encourage ongoing behavior change and healthy habits. When an emergent situation or complex question arises, Lark escalates the issue to nurses and coaches to provide additional support, resolve the issue, or suggest further action.

"We are excited to add Lark's proven digital coaching programs to Medical Mutual's growing population health model. The programs are helping our members improve their health and our employer groups achieve financial savings. The addition of Lark further strengthens our ability to provide our members personalized options to support the management of their health in a convenient and efficient manner," states Teresa Koenig, MD, MBA, Medical Mutual Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.

"More and more health plans are seeking out integrated solutions that can fully leverage their existing clinical resources, rather than offering stand-alone programs to their members. We designed Lark so that it can seamlessly blend with established care management programs and meet each member where they are in their unique health journey," said Lark CEO and co-founder Julia Hu. "We are happy to have added Medical Mutual to our list of partners who now offer Lark's programs to their members as they work toward their personal health and wellness goals."

As part of the partnership, Medical Mutual's chronic condition management program will utilize four Lark programs at no cost to the participating member. The programs include Lark's Diabetes Prevention Program, which is Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Fully Recognized, the highest level of clinical certification from the CDC; Diabetes Care; Hypertension Management; and Lark Prevention™, which encompasses weight management, behavioral health, sleep, and smoking cessation.

Lark has proven to be effective in helping individuals prevent and manage chronic conditions. For instance, participants using Lark's Hypertension Management Program saw an average systolic blood pressure decrease of 8.4 mm Hg sustained at six months, which has been associated with a 31% decrease in strokes. Participants using Lark's Diabetes Care Program have similarly impressive results with the majority of members achieving control of their Fasting Blood Glucose (defined as 130 mg/dl) after just six weeks of using Lark and the connected meter. In Lark's Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), which is part of what Medical Mutual makes available to help members with rising health risks, numerous studies have shown the program helps individuals to develop healthier habits and lose and sustain weight loss.

About Lark Health
Lark Health is the leading integrated chronic disease prevention and management platform, using proven A.I., expert coaching, and smart connected devices to deliver better health outcomes at scale. Lark uses cutting edge conversational AI and connected health monitors to provide real-time, one-on-one counseling to help members make healthier choices, manage their conditions, and when necessary, reach expert nurses and coaches to make changes to medication or handle a significant blood sugar event, for example. Lark's Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), Behavioral Health Program, Diabetes Care Program, and Hypertension Management Program have served nearly 2 million members, and have demonstrated clinically validated outcomes. Lark's DPP, which is the fastest growing and lowest cost DPP, has received CDC Full Recognition. Lark works with many of the largest health plans, PBMs, health systems, and self-insured employers to help their members live healthier lives. Founded by CEO Julia Hu and CTO Jeff Zira in 2011, the company has won numerous awards including having been named "Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in the World" alongside Uber and Airbnb. To learn more, visit www.lark.com.

About Medical Mutual of Ohio
Founded in 1934, Medical Mutual is the oldest and one of the largest health insurance companies based in Ohio. We provide peace of mind to more than 1.6 million Ohioans through our high-quality health, life, disability, dental, vision and indemnity plans. We offer fully insured and self-funded group coverage, including stop loss, as well as Medicare Advantage, Medicare Supplement and individual plans. Medical Mutual's status as a mutual company means we are owned by our members, not stockholders, so we don't answer to Wall Street analysts or pay dividends to investors. Instead, we focus on developing products and services that allow us to better serve our customers and the communities around us and help our members achieve their best possible health and quality of life. For more information, visit the company's website at MedMutual.com.

SOURCE Lark Health