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UnitedHealth's Therapy to Guide People With Type 2 Diabetes

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UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (UNH - Free Report) recently unveiled an innovative digital health therapy — Level2 — with an aim to bring about improved health outcomes for people suffering from type 2 diabetes. This move highlights the company’s intensified focus on integrating advanced data analytics with human support.

The new therapy can now be availed by more than 2,30,000 members enrolled in the company’s employer-sponsored and fully insured health plans. Notably, Level2 has been extended on a pilot basis across 27 states in the United States apart from Washington, DC at no additional costs.

The best part about Level2 is that it is equipped with integrated tools, which comprise a mobile continuous glucose monitor (CGM), activity tracker, app-based alerts and one-on-one clinical coaching. These digital tools motivate people to adopt healthier lifestyle decisions, which subsequently lead to drop in blood sugar levels. It can often lead to diabetes remission as the best outcome.

The therapy, which UnitedHealth is likely to extend to serve people with chronic conditions other than type 2 diabetes, certainly comes as a sigh of relief as a large number of people across the United States suffer from type 2 diabetes.

Level2 also has a successful record of reducing blood sugar to an appropriate level and even achieve diabetes remission. Per a pilot study conducted on more than 790 members of UnitedHealthcare, the therapy has significantly reduced the hemoglobin A1C level within 90 days, which is in fact, an indicator of appropriate blood sugar level. Level2 has also resulted in diabetes remission for its participants, which in turn, has eliminated the need for more than 450 prescriptions to date.

Shares of this Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) company have gained 12.7% in a year compared with the industry’s growth of 0.8%.  You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Moreover, the above announcement comes at a time when the entire United States is grappling with health woes stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic. The launch of this new therapy definitely bodes well as sudden fluctuations in blood sugar levels can possibly hint towards COVID-19 infections per initial studies. Being equipped to assess probable symptoms of the virus spread, Level2 uses advanced technologies and personalized support for stabilizing blood sugar levels. It has to be noted that people with stable blood sugar levels have chances of recovering faster from the infection.

Furthermore, UnitedHealth has been proactively taking measures from March itself to contain the virus spread through its two health service businesses —UnitedHealthcare and Optum. The healthcare provider has been making every effort to enhance existing suite of telehealth services. Last month, the company’s business — UnitedHealthcare — introduced teledentistry services in a bid to offer enhanced oral care to members. We believe Level2 is also part of the company’s efforts to boost its telehealth services. The current pandemic situation definitely calls for greater access to telehealth services, which positions UnitedHealth well for growth in the long term.

With stringent social-distancing measures being observed on account of the coronavirus, patients have been compelled to resort to telehealth services in order to avail medical help. This, in turn, has spurred growth for telehealth market. Also, it seems that most of the hospitals and health systems are now striving to provide virtual care on a larger scale on the back of their technology-driven capabilities.

Among other stocks in the medical space, Cigna Corporation (CI - Free Report) has been constantly expanding digital services suite. Other companies, including Magellan Health, Inc. and Humana Inc. (HUM - Free Report) have also developed telehealth services.

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