ATLANTA and TAMPA, Fla., Dec. 17,
2019 /PRNewswire/ -- WellCare of Georgia, a WellCare Health Plans, Inc. company
(NYSE: WCG), is partnering with Fitbit (NYSE: FIT) to deliver
Fitbit devices to WellCare Medicaid members in Georgia who take positive steps to manage
their diabetes by completing their annual diabetic eye exams.
More than one in 10 Georgia
adults [dph.georgia.gov] is currently living with Type 2
diabetes, a condition that if not properly managed, can impact many
areas of the body, including the eyes, increasing risk for
conditions such as glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and
even blindness.
Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, in an
effort to help its members manage their condition and prevent
complications from diabetes, WellCare is offering Georgia Medicaid
members ages 18 and older with a diabetes diagnosis who are
enrolled in the Fitbit Diabetes Program a Fitbit Inspire™ upon
completing their annual diabetic eye exam.
WellCare's Fitbit Diabetes Program is the first time Fitbit will
be included in a Medicaid program.
"Partnering with Fitbit helps incentivize our members living
with diabetes manage their condition," Dr. Clarence Davis, WellCare's senior medical
director for Georgia. "Diabetic
eye exams are a critical part of effective diabetes management, so
we wanted to find an innovative way to not only motivate our
members to complete their annual eye exam, but encourage additional
healthy behaviors such as walking and physical activity."
Studies show exercise is a key component to managing diabetes.
According to a study in the World Journal of Diabetes,
walking for at least 30 minutes per day was shown to reduce the
risk of Type 2 diabetes by approximately 50% and was associated
with a reduction in mortality.
"We are excited to partner with Fitbit as we work to educate,
motivate and support our members around the benefits of physical
activity. Fitbit's fitness tracker complements WellCare's existing
care management resources and will provide yet another resource to
help our members living with diabetes manage their condition and
improve their overall health and wellbeing," said Davis.
As of Sept. 30, 2019, WellCare
serves approximately 492,000 Medicaid members, 52,000 Medicare
Advantage plan members and 26,000 Medicare Prescription Drug Plan
members in Georgia.
About WellCare Health Plans, Inc.
Headquartered in
Tampa, Fla., WellCare Health
Plans, Inc. (NYSE: WCG) focuses primarily on providing
government-sponsored managed care services to families, children,
seniors and individuals with complex medical needs primarily
through Medicaid, Medicare Advantage and Medicare Prescription Drug
Plans, as well as individuals in the Health Insurance Marketplace.
WellCare serves approximately 6.4 million members nationwide as of
September 30, 2019. For more
information about WellCare, please visit the company's website at
wellcare.com.
Fitbit and the Fitbit logo are trademarks or registered
trademarks of Fitbit, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries.
Additional Fitbit trademarks can be
found www.fitbit.com/legal/trademark-list.
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SOURCE WellCare Health Plans, Inc.