Health IT, Policy

CMS OKs Livongo as enrolled provider for Medicare Advantage

Beginning in June, the Livongo for Diabetes program will be available to Medicare Advantage members of Cambia Health Solutions’ regional health plans.

Vector illustration of Approved green ink stamp

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has approved Livongo as an enrolled provider for Medicare Advantage members, the company announced in a press release.

Beginning next month, the Livongo for Diabetes program will be available to Medicare Advantage members of Cambia Health Solutions’ regional health plans. Cambia is a nonprofit healthcare company headquartered in Portland, Oregon.

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Cambia and Livongo teamed up last year when they announced they would make Livongo’s diabetes solution available to Regence Blue Cross and Blue Shield members in Idaho, Utah, Washington and Oregon. At the time, they also revealed plans to develop other solutions for conditions like hypertension and behavioral health.

The two organizations also have another connection. One of Livongo’s investors, Echo Health Ventures, was created by Cambia and Mosaic Health Solutions, the investment arm of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina.

“Livongo’s CMS enrollment is another great step in our co-development partnership, and the Cambia team is excited for our regional health plans to expand these offerings to the Medicare Advantage population,” Cambia Health Solutions senior vice president of health care services and CMO Cheryl Pegus said in a statement. “Consumer-focused solutions for our members and their families encourage their well-being and highlight our integrative capabilities to simplify the member journey.”

Headquartered in Mountain View, California, Livongo’s platform offers users personalized insight and prompts them to take action when it’s likely to have a clinical impact. Individuals can also use it to connect to support and coaches. Recently, Livongo joined forces with Amazon to release a HIPAA-compliant Alexa skill, which lets patients keep track of their blood sugar checks and get insights and personalized health nudges.

Over time, the chronic disease management company has expanded its reach. It started off with a focus on diabetes and has since broadened its approach to include hypertension, weight management and behavioral health as well.

In March, the Wall Street Journal reported Livongo is planning for an initial public offering as early as the third quarter of 2019.

Photo: Thomas Pajot, Getty Images