Why Are Virtual Obesity Centers of Excellence a Growing Benefits Trend?

Obesity poses a significant challenge for employers. In addition to the sheer numbers of employees battling the condition (according to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 100 million U.S. adults were obese between 2017 and March 2020), the costs are significant.

The disease increases the risk for diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, sleep apnea, certain cancers and expensive musculoskeletal problems. While it can’t be ignored, treatment doesn’t come cheap. Bariatric surgery costs over $30,000 on average, while GLP-1 prescriptions tend to cost around $800 a month, not including rebates.

Over the last several years, obesity Centers of Excellence (COE) have sprung up to address the rising costs of the disease and provide better care. These centers of excellence drive impact by channeling a high volume of patients through a narrow network of specialized providers that offer value-based care. The problem is that by the time some patients get directed to a traditional obesity COE, they’re often candidates for bariatric or musculoskeletal surgery.

What if employers could identify people struggling with obesity earlier on — and prevent some of the major downstream costs associated with those expensive procedures?

Comprehensive Obesity Treatment

The disease isn’t just a product of straightforward calorie overconsumption. Multiple factors contribute to this condition, including genetics, lifestyle, food environment, stress and other mental health conditions, sleep (or lack thereof), social determinants of health, hormones and more. If we could easily address obesity through a simple calories-in and calories-out equation, we wouldn’t see it chronically affect more than two in five U.S. adults.

I saw a lot of these issues hit my workforce when I was working as a benefits strategy leader. Work stress only compounded the factors listed above and contributed to expensive health conditions like diabetes. That’s why I became so passionate about promoting comprehensive wellness programs that address not only physical health, but also mental and emotional well-being.

By focusing on a technology-driven, holistic approach, we can better support individuals in managing their health and preventing chronic diseases.

Lowering Costs, Improving Access

A virtual obesity COE can quickly triage and funnel people to the right level of care. In a country where only 1% of doctors are trained in obesity care, virtual obesity COEs offer access to a high-quality, lower-cost specialist network. Members get care from specialists in nutrition, mental health and medicine who know how to correctly prescribe and continuously measure and adjust the balance of anti-obesity medications for the best effect.

These centers rely heavily on various digital tools and platforms to deliver comprehensive, accessible and personalized care to individuals with obesity, including:

• Telehealth services. As the name suggests, virtual obesity centers use remote consultations, allowing patients to receive care from the comfort of their homes. This improves accessibility, especially for those who may have difficulty traveling to in-person appointments. Telehealth enables regular check-ins with healthcare providers to monitor progress and adjust treatment plans accordingly.
• Remote patient monitoring. Connected devices like smart scales and wearable activity trackers allow for continuous monitoring of patients’ weight, physical activity and other key health metrics. This data is aggregated and analyzed to provide real-time insights into patients’ progress and identify potential risk factors.
• Personalized treatment plans. By leveraging patient data from connected devices and telehealth interactions, virtual obesity centers can create treatment plans tailored to each individual’s needs, preferences and progress. Machine learning and AI further enhance this personalization, allowing for automated adjustments to interventions over time.
• Mobile/online nutrition and behavioral coaching. Virtual obesity centers often incorporate digital nutrition education and meal planning, and remote behavioral counseling. These tools make it easier for patients to track their food intake, activity levels and progress toward their goals. The ability to access these resources on demand promotes better adherence and long-term success.
• Ongoing support and accountability. Virtual obesity centers include a supportive community with online support groups, discussion forums and check-ins with coaches. This accountability and social connection are critical for maintaining motivation and healthy habits, even after the initial weight loss phase.

Identifying Who Does and Doesn’t Need a GLP-1

New weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound are shaking up obesity management even more. Demand for the drugs is skyrocketing — and so is the expense. While some anxious employers may take the drugs off their formulary completely, others recognize how essential they are for a segment of their population. This is where a virtual obesity COE can make a big difference.

Virtual obesity COEs recognize that not everyone with obesity is automatically a candidate for a GLP-1. Many may see progress with support from registered dietitians delivering personalized medical nutrition therapy. Most will get significant results from alternative anti-obesity medications that have been around for decades. However, a small subset may need a GLP-1 to see meaningful weight loss.

Setting Us up for the Future

Rates of obesity will only continue to rise until we take more collective action. We have to stop brushing the disease aside as a cosmetic condition or personal failing — not when it affects so much of America’s workforce. It’s not even just a health issue at this point; it’s an economic one.

With virtual obesity COEs, people get the targeted care they need at a fraction of the cost of unmanaged care models, where the disease can be ignored to the point of no return and/or the cost of a GLP-1 prescription hits the employee hard. That’s when expensive procedures like bariatric and musculoskeletal surgery become necessary.

Benefits leaders are in a unique position to fundamentally transform our nation’s health. More are turning to innovative solutions like virtual obesity COEs to stop the disease in its tracks and deliver personalized care at an affordable price.