Vori Health Expands Access to Virtual Orthopedic Care
To address back and joint pain in members and family members at home, Vori Health, a musculoskeletal care company, has partnered with Star Marketing and Administration, an employee benefits insurer (known as Trustmark Small Business Benefits), to offer physician-led virtual orthopedic care.
WHY IT MATTERS
By partnering with Trustmark, Vori Health will offer members of small business group plans physical therapy and rehabilitation, physical therapy, prescriptions, imaging and lab testing, health coaching, nutritional counseling, community support and more, the telehealth company announced Thursday.
A team of board-certified specialists, physical therapists, registered dietitians and health coaches guide patients throughout their MSK care journey – from medical diagnosis and clinical care to healthy lifestyle coaching – to deliver long-term results for chronic MSK conditions, Vori said.
The company also offers on-site orthopedic care.
“This relationship provides thousands of valued members and their families with access to virtual, specialty MSK care, streamlining non-surgical care in what has traditionally been a fragmented patient experience in the U.S.,” said Ryan Schoenecker, Vori’s chief commercial officer, in a statement.
In December the company in collaboration with Contigo Healtha healthcare benefits platform, offers self-funded employers the opportunity to expand payvider’s orthopedic surgical Centers of Excellence program in Charlotte, North Carolina, to improve patient outcomes and reduce costs.
According to Vori Health, millions of workers across the country suffer from back and joint pain.
THE BIGGER TREND
While virtual care has declined in some segments, such as mental health care – as evidenced by Teladoc withdrawing its 2024 forecast pain treatment via digital platforms that offer personalized care plans, exercise programs and counseling has increased, Reuters reported last week, following a $790 million writedown related to BetterHelp in the second quarter.
According to Bronwyn Spira, founder and CEO of Force Therapeutics, telemedicine and digital therapy can improve orthopedic care and physical therapy.
She said Healthcare IT News in 2022 that lower-income and minority people face multiple barriers to accessing health care and are less likely to seek orthopedic care, “which can lead to significant functional limitations.”
“At least 60% of American adults have a musculoskeletal condition, and more than 75% of people aged 65 and older have at least one (MSK) condition, which ranges from tendonitis to arthritis, degenerative disc disease and chronic low back pain,” she said.
“Untreated musculoskeletal conditions can also lead to sedentary behavior, which can lead to or worsen comorbidities such as diabetes, obesity, and depression.”
While Most small business owners are concerned about the cost of health insurancethey offer health insurance to help them hire and retain the best employees. According to a recent virtual MSK report According to the Peterson Health Technology Institute, virtual physical therapy could reduce health care costs.
The 2024 report, updated Monday, said app-based exercise therapy and physical therapist-led programs could replace in-person care, while remote therapeutic monitoring could complement in-person orthopedic care by improving adherence to the care plan.
The researchers recommended integrating virtual MSK into medical benefits, not wellness programs. They also said contracts should be based on value-based payment arrangements and encouraged virtual offerings to work with payers and providers to improve patient triage and gather evidence for moderate and high complexity MSK care.
ON THE RECORD
“Musculoskeletal conditions can have a significant impact on a person’s well-being,” said Tim Cremin, vice president of Trustmark Small Business Benefits, in a statement.
“Our collaboration is aimed at ensuring that more people get the medical care they need, at a fair price.”
Andrea Fox is Editor-in-Chief of Healthcare IT News.
Email address: afox@himss.org
Healthcare IT News is a publication of HIMSS Media.