What You Should Know:
– Virta Health, a provider of sustainable weight loss and diabetes reversal through a nutrition-first approach, today announced industry-first cost guarantees for its weight loss program.
– These guarantees aim to eliminate financial risk for employers and health plans by ensuring Virta’s program pays for itself while also reining in the escalating costs associated with GLP-1 medications, which are reportedly rising 70–200% annually across the industry. Virta now commits to stopping these increases completely, guaranteeing 0% utilization growth for employers offering this drug class for obesity.
Tackling Soaring GLP-1 Costs and Ensuring Value for Payers
The rapidly increasing costs of GLP-1 medications for weight loss, projected to surpass $100 billion annually, are placing enormous financial pressure on employers and health plans. In response, many organizations have opted not to cover these medications for weight loss, or have discontinued coverage after experiencing spiraling costs, often leaving members dissatisfied and without access to treatment.
Virta aims to set a new standard by combining outcomes-driven care with cost-conscious, responsible GLP-1 use. The company prioritizes nutrition and utilizes high-quality, name-brand GLP-1 medications only when clinically necessary.
Virta’s Dual Cost Guarantees: A New Standard for Weight Loss Programs
Virta’s new, industry-first cost guarantees include:
- 0% Year-over-Year Growth in GLP-1 Utilization: For organizations that offer GLP-1 coverage for obesity, Virta guarantees a 0% year-over-year cost increase related to these medications, as measured by prescription volume.
- 1:1 Claims Based ROI: Employers and health plans are assured at least a dollar-for-dollar return in total cost of care savings, based on a rigorous analysis of medical and pharmacy claims—considered the gold standard for assessing economic impact in healthcare.
These financial assurances are complemented by Virta’s existing industry-leading clinical guarantees, which include a promise to deliver even greater weight loss across entire enrolled populations—whether or not members are using GLP-1 medications—through its Sustainable Weight Loss program with Responsible Prescribing.
A Nutrition-First Approach with Responsible GLP-1 Management
Virta emphasizes its unique position as the only solution on the market that it claims can match the weight loss results of GLP-1 medications without relying on drugs, while also guaranteeing even greater bodyweight reduction for its members. This enables members to achieve lasting results with or without GLP-1s. When medications are appropriate, Virta offers flexible solutions to help organizations secure best-in-market pricing on GLP-1s, leveraging unique partnerships with Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) and direct access to pharmaceutical manufacturers’ consumer pricing.
“These guarantees are a natural extension of our founding mission—to reverse chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity while reducing costs,” said Virta co-founder and CEO Sami Inkinen. “We’ve proven that it’s possible to achieve meaningful, sustainable weight loss with or without lifelong medication use. Now we’re taking the next step: fully aligning our incentives with our customers to help them control costs and deliver better outcomes at the same time”.
