Aetna has acknowledged cutbacks at iTriage, an app that combined a symptom checker with a provider search and which has been part of the Healthagen business. The restructure combines iTriage with WellMatch to form one team. Wellmatch is an Aetna business that focuses on cost transparency. A spokeswoman confirmed the news, although she declined to specify the number of layoffs.
MobiHealthNews reported the story today after HIStalk noted last night that it had an unconfirmed report of 33 layoffs at iTriage.
An Aetna spokeswoman emailed this response to questions:
“In the combined organization, Yaniv Kanfi continues his role as president; WellMatch founder and president Chere Parton is now chief operating officer; WellMatch’s Adam Lowe is now chief technology officer; and Etugo Nwokah now heads product.
“Together the organization will deliver a powerful set of digital decision-support tools — making it easy for people to take action on health care for themselves and their families.”
MobiHealthNews cited a spokesperson for iTriage that Aetna had made layoffs across four of its businesses and noted that iTriage was part of a group of companies under the umbrella of Aetna’s Healthagen unit. Other companies that have been part of the Healthagen unit include Medicity and PracticeIQ.
Aetna previously shut down its CarePass app in 2014, which aggregates fitness app data. It also shut down caregiver app InvolveCare while it was still in beta the same year.
A Deep-dive Into Specialty Pharma
A specialty drug is a class of prescription medications used to treat complex, chronic or rare medical conditions. Although this classification was originally intended to define the treatment of rare, also termed “orphan” diseases, affecting fewer than 200,000 people in the US, more recently, specialty drugs have emerged as the cornerstone of treatment for chronic and complex diseases such as cancer, autoimmune conditions, diabetes, hepatitis C, and HIV/AIDS.
