As you read this article, the chances are high that some part of your body hurts.
It could be your back aches, or you deal with chronic shoulder pain. Perhaps you’ve had a knee injury or struggle with soreness in your hips. The fact is, one in four of us suffer from these or other muscle and joint conditions.*
Joint and muscle problems aren’t just common; they’re also costly. These issues generate 50% of employers’ health care costs in the U.S., and negatively impact worker productivity, making them a significant expense for members and employers alike.*
Pittsburgh-based insurer Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield is setting out to tackle the problem with a new program in collaboration with SWORD Health Inc., a health technology company that specializes in a digital approach to physical therapy for muscle and joint pain.
An innovative solution for muscle and joint pain
“Our recent Business Group on Health survey indicated that [muscle and joint pain] is the single largest segment of care that large employers are thinking about innovating around in the next two to three years,” Pete Welsh, of SWORD Health, explained during a recent episode of the Pittsburgh Technology Council’s TechVibe Radio Healthcare Reinvented Podcast. “A lot of people have already solved for core telemedicine and diabetes and behavioral health, but many organizations have yet to solve for [muscle and joint pain].”
Highmark’s new program, called Well360 Motion, pairs members with a SWORD Health licensed physical therapist, who assesses their pain and tailors a program to their unique needs. Utilizing wearable FDA-listed motion sensors and the SWORD Health tablet to guide movement, the physical therapists evaluate real-time biofeedback as members go through their exercise sessions. The physical therapist provides ongoing virtual support and guidance throughout the program, and is available for questions along the journey.
“The gap [in care for muscle and joint pain] is significant,” Welsh said. “And the opportunity to meaningfully impact people’s lives and help them recover safely and effectively in the comfort of their own homes is absolutely tremendous.”
Highmark’s product strategy and portfolio development team, headed by Tim Lightner, had been searching for products and clinical programs to offer in addition to its core medical benefit plan when it found SWORD Health. Well360 Motion is currently available to Highmark’s self-funded commercial group customers, and there are zero out-of-pocket costs for members.
Improved outcomes for employees and reduced costs for employers
“Our goal with developing these products is to help our commercial groups manage their costs by helping to improve the health of their employees and their covered dependents,” said Rebecca Kardell, a senior product consultant with Highmark.
Physical therapy is typically recommended as the first course of treatment for managing muscle and joint pain. Yet, getting members to successfully complete a prescribed course of physical therapy can be challenging.
Well360 Motion can be an alternative to traditional physical therapy, making it possible to support more members as their muscle and joint problems emerge. It also helps eliminate barriers to in-person physical therapy. Highmark’s data show that with traditional, in-person physical therapy, a member typically will perform only about 30% of the prescribed sessions. The cost, travel time and scheduling issues can cause people to skip sessions. Time constraints, ongoing pain and a lack of confidence often mean people don’t do their exercises at home between sessions.
As a virtual muscle and joint pain care program, Well360 Motion eliminates many of those barriers. SWORD Health has found compliance rates increase to 89%, giving members better outcomes. Participants in the company’s 2020 Financial and Experience Outcomes Report had a 70% reduction in pain, a 52% reduction in depression and a 35% reduction in anxiety.
“One of our main goals as physical therapists is to give people their lives back,” said Julie Docter, a clinical specialist with SWORD Health. “That’s honestly why we’re here. If you have pain, you probably have lost something in your life, and our job is to really help you get your life back and empower you to do that.”
For more information about Highmark and how technology is changing the way people receive health care, visit Highmark.com/employer.
One of America's leading health insurance organizations and an independent licensee of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, Highmark Inc. (the Health Plan) and its affiliated health plans (collectively, the Health Plans) work to deliver high-quality, accessible, understandable, and affordable experiences, outcomes, and solutions to customers.
*According to national, regional and ACA markets in Highmark’s book of business (based on rolling incurred time frame of March 2019 to February 2020, paid through April 2020).
Lauren Lawley Head is a freelance writer for The Business Journals Content Studio.
