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June 14, 2024

State extending, expanding weight-loss management program for state workers

CTMIRROR.ORG FILE PHOTO State Comptroller Sean Scanlon
By David Krechevsky

A pilot program that has helped state employees lose weight and improve their blood pressure will be extended for three more years and expanded, the state Comptroller’s office said Thursday.

Comptroller Sean Scanlon said his office intends to sign a three-year contract with New Canaan-based Intellihealth to provide its Flyte weight management program to members of the state employee health plan, which serves state employees and family members.

The cost of the contract depend on enrollment. According to a spokesperson in the Comptroller's office, if an average of 8,000 plan members enrolled each year, the contract would cost the state $10 million.

As of Friday, there are just under 6,300 plan members enrolled in the program, according to a spokesperson for IntelliHealth.

Data from the pilot program, which began July 1, 2023, shows that patients enrolled for at least six months have shown an average weight decrease of 8.5%, while also reducing their blood pressure by an average of 11.7%, the Comptroller’s office said.

The new three-year contract increases the number of clinicians with obesity medicine expertise that plan members can access. The state said it also expands coverage to retirees. Eligible individuals in the Aetna Medicare Advantage (MA) program can participate in Flyte, and their treatment will be covered by the state’s MA Prescription Drug plan, it said.

Under the program, any plan member seeking a GLP-1 prescription for weight loss is required to enroll in Flyte. A GLP-1 drug helps lower blood sugar levels and promote weight loss.

According to the Comptroller's office, the state saw a nearly 50% increase in spending on GLP-1 prescriptions from fiscal year 2021 to fiscal year 2022. It has seen a "flattening of the cost curve" since the Flyte program was implemented, it said.

 

In addition to prescribing GLP-1 medications, Flyte clinicians use low-cost generics and other anti-obesity medications to contain costs while providing education and support to help patients achieve long-term success.

Connecticut Innovations, the state’s strategic venture capital arm, has invested in Intellihealth.

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