Fitbit, today announced its expanded partnership with Solera Health, an integrated benefit network to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by encouraging positive behavior changes, such as increased physical activity and weight loss.
Type 2 diabetes affects more than 30 million American adults and costs the U.S. approximately $327 billion annually in direct medical expenses and lost productivity. Yet, the onset of disease can be delayed – or even prevented – among the 84 million U.S. adults at high risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Research has shown that people with prediabetes who lost 5% of their body weight through healthier eating and 150 minutes of activity per week cut their risk of developing type 2 diabetes in half. This intervention strategy is the foundation of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National DPP, which is now a covered preventive service for all Medicare beneficiaries.
Fitbit-Solera Health Partnership Background
Beginning in 2017, Solera began offering Fitbit devices to individuals who used Solera to enroll in community-based or digital DPPs. Based on an analysis of more than 1,700 people who enrolled in the National Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) through the Solera network, Solera found that participants who redeemed a Fitbit device were more active and lost more weight during the program than those who did not. Now, the companies are making Fitbit Inspire and Inspire HR available to all Solera DPP participants, including Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries.
The analysis shows that Fitbit devices can play a meaningful role in improving health outcomes for participants in DPPs. Based on the success of the partnership to date, Fitbit and Solera are exploring additional opportunities to scale their collaboration in 2019, including offering Fitbit’s latest activity trackers, Fitbit Inspire and Fitbit Inspire HR™, to Solera’s DPP participants. To date, Solera has enrolled over 100,000 people in the National DPP through its network model.
“Solera is thrilled to enter a strategic partnership with Fitbit as there are many market synergies between what the two companies are doing to improve the health of those at risk for type 2 diabetes,” said Brenda Schmidt, CEO of Solera Health. “Our unique ability to connect individuals with the best-fit DPP to meet their needs and preferences, paired with Fitbit’s easy-to-use wearable devices, has the potential to significantly alter how populations approach chronic disease prevention and management. We look forward to scaling this partnership further in order to help future program participants maintain and improve their health.”
