Loneliness and social isolation continue to rise across all age groups, costing Medicare Advantage health insurance providers an estimated additional $161B annually. [Cigna, AARP]. New articles are published almost daily about the effects of loneliness on cognition, particularly on our growing senior population. Effective and scalable solutions are needed.
As 2022 draws to a close, Wisdo Health is reflecting on 3 noteworthy achievements in addressing the harmful impacts of loneliness and social isolation, with a proven solution leveraging the power and empathy of community, together with better navigation to point solutions and clinical services, when needed. We are humbled by the determination of leaders in healthcare to address this urgent, costly and growing problem.
1. Efficacy Among Lonely Medicare Advantage Populations Confirmed
The number of Medicare Advantage members in the US, currently around 28M, is expected to rise to 55M by 2030 [KFF]. It is estimated that 40% of US seniors are lonely and over 30% are coping with severe loneliness, as well as one chronic condition or more.
Following Wisdo Health’s year-long pilot with National Health Plan, claims data analysis has finally been completed and our results are official. Wisdo Health’s platform is effective in reducing loneliness, increasing health outcomes and significantly reducing medical costs among Medicare Advantage populations aged 65 and over. It does so by tapping into the power of a helpful community to provide safe, quality-measured and on-demand social support.
Some highlights from the white paper include:
- The alarming impact of loneliness and social isolation on medical costs
- Loneliness reduction results including 13% no longer considered lonely at day 90
- Quality of life increase, including 6.5 healthy days at day 30
- Satisfaction: 42% month 12 retention rate on Wisdo Health, 92% would recommend Wisdo Health.
2. Efficacy Among Employed Populations Coping with Substance Abuse Confirmed
In 2021, Colorado State non-profit, Peer Assistance Services (PAS), engaged Wisdo Health as a social health solution for 815 of its members coping with substance abuse and other behavioral health issues. Wisdo was excited about the opportunity to help more people move away from loneliness, as well as to measure its impact on a younger, work-age population where the average age was 38.
Some highlights of the results include statistically significant (p<0.05) reductions in loneliness, depression and anxiety rates at day 90 of usage, as well as a $900 reduction in medical costs per member per year.
This led to Colorado State opting for wider dissemination of Wisdo Health among similar populations. Tens of thousands of Coloradans will get access to Wisdo through their state, from 2022 to 2025.
CLICK to read the PAS white paper
3. Webinars Featuring Leaders in Healthcare
Wisdo Health has hosted and been featured in several conversations with key market leaders over the last few months such as Humana, United Healthcare, AARP, Regence, SCAN Healthcare and Vanna Health.
Our most recent webinar covered how peer support can improve Medicare Advantage Outcomes. Jennifer Spear, Associate Director of Population Health at Humana, was directly involved throughout the pilot program, and she described one of their most significant findings:
“We saw really high NPS scores, not only with Humana, but even higher with how individuals felt about using the Wisdo program in their relationship with Humana.”
Following this webinar, Wisdo Health also received a number of requests for our white paper on the Power of Peer Support, where we show how the right digital peer support intervention can mitigate the dangerous effects of loneliness.
CLICK to read the Power of Peer Support white paper
2023: Here We Come!
Having validated the impact of well-designed, personalized peer support on health, engagement and cost, Wisdo Health is poised to change numerous lives in 2023, as well as to significantly reduce the cost of care by lowering loneliness, increasing confidence and motivation to self-care and navigating members to clinical services. With our upcoming partnerships, schedule of webinars and more data on the efficacy of a community-based social support intervention, we hope to further explore how loneliness and social isolation can be addressed – turning back a tide that has been rising steadily since 2015.
We hope that you will join us in this important mission. Our next webinar is on January 26th. Registration opens soon!
Until then, Happy Holidays and best wishes for the New Year.
