Key Takeaways
- A new analysis of 5,651 Hello Heart users found a 17% reduction in their organization’s healthcare costs compared to costs for similar non-users
- Key subgroups of Hello Heart users had considerable savings – including women, spouses, government employees, labor union members, and seniors
- Hello Heart users had 3.8 fewer days of inpatient care per 1,000 member months, while non-users had an increase of 9.9 inpatient days
As the costs of care continue to rise, the average person with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or its associated risk factors is now expected to incur over $10,000 in annual medical costs for their sponsoring organization.
This makes heart disease and stroke prevention all the more crucial for employers, health plans, and labor organizations aiming to contain costs and keep people healthy. Fortunately, a new report shows that containing, and even reducing, those costs is possible with the help of preventive digital heart health tools.
Users of Hello Heart’s connected heart health monitor and mobile app incurred 17% lower healthcare costs for their organizations annually compared to non-users, according to an independent medical claims analysis conducted by the Validation Institute.
The analysis compared 5,651 Hello Heart users with 5,651 non-users from the same employers, matching them by age, sex, medical costs before the program, cardiovascular costs before the program, and their status as employees or as covered family members.
The analysis found that Hello Heart users’ costs decreased by $360, while non-users’ increased by $1,316 – meaning that Hello Heart users experienced $1,676 in total savings. That amount translates to 17% of annual medical costs for Hello Heart users pre-enrollment.
In addition, Hello Heart users experienced 3.8 fewer days of inpatient care per 1,000 member months after enrollment, while non-users had an increase of 9.9 days. These inpatient hospital stays typically account for the majority of medical claims costs related to CVD.
The analysis also explored savings for certain subgroups, finding significant reductions for:
- Government and labor workers: $1,650 in savings
- Covered spouses: $3,448 in savings
- Women: $3,055 in savings
- Individuals aged 65 or older: $3,278 in savings
Find out what drove these outcomes for different populations and access the rest of the report here.
1. Gazit T, Gutman M, Beatty AL. Assessment of Hypertension Control Among Adults Participating in a Mobile Technology Blood Pressure Self-management Program. JAMA Netw Open. 2021;4(10):e2127008, https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.27008. Accessed October 19, 2022. (Some study authors are employed by Hello Heart. Because of the observational nature of the study, causal conclusions cannot be made. See additional important study limitations in the publication. This study showed that 108 participants with baseline blood pressure over 140/90 who had been enrolled in the program for 3 years and had application activity during weeks 148-163 were able to reduce their blood pressure by 21 mmHg using the Hello Heart program.) (2) Livongo Health, Inc. Form S-1 Registration Statement. https:/www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1639225/000119312519185159/d731249ds1.htm. Published June 28, 2019. Accessed October 19, 2022. (In a pilot study that lasted six weeks, individuals starting with a blood pressure of greater than 140/90 mmHg, on average, had a 10 mmHG reduction.) NOTE: This comparison is not based on a head-to-head study, and the difference in results may be due in part to different study protocols.
2. Validation Institute. 2021 Validation Report (Valid Through October 2022). https://validationinstitute.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/Hello_Heart-Savings-2021- Final.pdf. Published October 2021. Accessed October 19, 2022. (This analysis was commissioned by Hello Heart, which provided a summary report of self-fundedemployer client medical claims data for 203 Hello Heart users and 200 non-users from 2017-2020. Findings have not been subjected to peer review.)
