In partnership with statewide health clinics and organizations, Revival Health and former Governor Phil Bryant join forces to tackle Mississippi’s growing public health crisis—obesity—through the Mississippi Obesity Alliance Program.
JACKSON, Miss., October 15, 2024 (Newswire.com) – Revival Health Inc. proudly announces the launch of the Mississippi Obesity Alliance Program (MOA) to combat the state’s growing obesity epidemic. Approximately 1 in 3 American adults are now obese, and Mississippi has become ground zero in the nation’s battle against obesity, with nearly 70% of adults (39.7%) being either overweight or obese.
The MOA is a multi-tiered alliance of industry leaders dedicated to providing low-cost, accessible GLP-1 medications to Mississippians who are unable to afford or access these treatments. The program is expected to supply over $20 million in GLP-1 medications in its first year, helping hundreds of thousands of Mississippians manage and reduce obesity. This initiative is particularly crucial at a time when these medications are in short supply nationwide due to increasing demand.
Under this partnership, a 2-milliliter supply of GLP-1, typically priced between $800 and $1,100, will be available to Mississippi residents for as little as $179-$249. This significant price reduction can save patients between $8,000 and $10,000 annually, making this life-changing medication accessible to those who previously couldn’t afford or access it.
The clinical component of the MOA program will be administered by a range of local, in-person state clinics in Mississippi, as well as online by licensed clinicians from the half-price health care marketplace Sesame. Interested Mississippians will be comprehensively evaluated for the suitability of Revival Health’s GLP-1 medications by either their local participating state clinic, or a Sesame clinician.
“This is monumental,” said former Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant, co-founder of BSS Health. “Our state ranks in the top 10 for obesity rates, with counties like Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, and Leflore reporting rates exceeding 40%. GLP-1s have historically only been accessible to high-income earners due to cost. Thanks to this partnership with Revival Health, we can now bring the health benefits of GLP-1s to more Mississippians at a time when these medications are in short supply across the country.”
Revival Health will offer access to both GLP-1 injections and weight management oral medication kits, allowing customers to personalize their weight loss journey to fit their lifestyle and budget. This flexible approach ensures that patients can choose the treatment that best suits their individual health needs and financial situation, making effective weight management more accessible than ever. By offering compounded GLP-1s, patients can access medications with the same active ingredients as branded options like Ozempic® and Wegovy® without the high costs, insurance barriers, or shortages currently being experienced nationally.
The Obesity Challenge in Mississippi
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), 70% of American adults are either overweight or obese. Losing just 5-10% of body weight can significantly reduce the risk of weight-related conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. GLP-1 medications, combined with a reduced caloric intake and increased physical activity, help manage blood sugar, suppress appetite, and reduce cravings, providing a path to long-term weight loss without feelings of deprivation.
“The availability of affordable GLP-1 anti-obesity medications, manufactured under FDA regulations, is a significant advancement in addressing one of Mississippi’s greatest health challenges,” said Dr. Sid Bondurant, Professor Emeritus at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
Robb Fujioka, CEO of Revival Health, echoed this sentiment: “We are committed to delivering high-quality compound medications that meet rigorous FDA standards and third-party testing, all while remaining affordable and accessible to those in need. This partnership with former Governor Bryant and the MOA Program enables us to provide affordable, life-changing healthcare solutions to Mississippians.”
Addressing Rising Costs and Access Issues
The demand for GLP-1 medications is at an all-time high. According to JP Morgan Research, 12% of U.S. adults have used a GLP-1 drug, including 43% of diabetes patients and 22% of overweight or obese patients. By 2030, JP Morgan estimates that 35% of diabetes patients and 15 million obese individuals in the U.S. will be using GLP-1 medications, totaling approximately 30 million users. However, rising costs have led some state health plans, such as those in North Carolina, Virginia, and Connecticut, to stop covering prescriptions for GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic® and Wegovy®.
Mississippi’s initiative directly addresses these affordability, access and supply issues, making GLP-1 compound medications available to residents regardless of their insurance status, starting October 2024.
About Revival Health Inc.
Revival Health Inc. was founded to solve healthcare’s biggest problem—how to deliver preventative care, early. Our mission is to make home healthcare and preventative medicine affordable, accessible, and easy to use. Our platform is uniquely capable of offering a robust ecosystem of hardware (testing, monitoring, and wearables), software (tracking and analytics and EHR/EMR) and services (telemedicine and pharmacy) to empower everyone to lead longer, healthier lives by predicting disease onset and deliver treatment earlier.
We prioritize simplicity so that our technology is accessible to everyone. Early in development, it became clear that home health care was highly fragmented and often siloed across multiple departments and therapeutic areas. As such, we set out to build a single solution that included home testing, monitoring, telehealth and e-prescribe backed by a health dashboard and Electronic Health Records access for an easy-to-use and adopt unified solution.
About BSS Health, LLC
BSS Health, LLC is a subsidiary of the BSS Companies. BSS Health was founded to create and execute on opportunities to improve healthcare, providing jobs and better lives for our customers and community. BSS Health is a privately-held small business located in Ridgeland, Mississippi.
For more information, please visit Revival Health’s website at www.revival.care/moa
Source: Revival Health Inc.
Lisa Fujioka
CMO, Revival Health
Michael DiLorenzo
CMO, Sesame
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