Diabetes treatment provider Virta Health joined the care network of the Blue Shield of California, an independent member of the Blue Shield Association health plan. Through this partnership, select members of the Blue Shield of California will have access to Virta Health’s services beginning February 2023. This marks an expansion of the two companies' previous partnership, where Vitra Health was offered under Blue Shield’s “Wellvolution,” a platform offering digital lifestyle apps. 

This partnership marks the first digital diabetes solution to be fully covered for eligible members under Blue Shield’s benefits program and will allow patients to be referred to Virta through Blue Shield’s network of clinicians. Patients can also choose to receive care from traditional diabetes care providers through Blue Shield’s network. Blue Shield noted that its choice of Virta Health is due to its treatment’s effectiveness. 

Virta Health provides reversal treatments for Type 2 diabetes through behavioral and lifestyle changes while reducing dependence on medication. The company monitors patients via Virta’s remote monitoring devices while patients receive continuous medical supervision from and access to Virta’s dedicated health coaches three times a day. Published peer-reviewed research on Vitra’s care model showed that on average, patients lowered blood sugar levels by 1.3% and lost 12% of their body weight over a year.