Anthem invests in kidney care startup Somatus

The health insurance giant announced Wednesday that Anthem is making a “strategic investment” in kidney care startup Somatus and embarking on a multi-year partnership with the company to deliver value-based care.

Starting this month, Somatus will provide clinical services to Anthem Medicare Advantage members with chronic kidney disease and end-stage kidney disease. The startup is also developing technology that analyzes data and identifies patients at risk of developing kidney disease, and identifies possible next steps for medical teams.

A kidney care company contracts with health plans, health systems, nephrologists, and primary health care services to help patients who have or are at risk of developing kidney disease. This includes helping patients organize their care and removing barriers such as transportation and access to nutritious food.

Somatus aims to prevent disease progression and reduce costs through early detection, better coordinated care, and increased use of transplants and home dialysis.

“Investing in and partnering with Somatus ensures that consumers with kidney disease included in our partner health insurance plans receive the industry’s best personalized home care and the resources they need to improve their health and wellbeing,” said Elena McFann. President, Anthem Medicare. said in news release…

Recently, health insurers have been forging partnerships to treat patients with chronic kidney disease. This trend coincides with ESRD patients becoming eligible for Medicare Advantage plans for the first time this year.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota signed a value-added care plan with DaVita Kidney Care in April, and Cigna partnered with Monogram Health in March. Cricket Health raised $ 83.5 million, including investments from Cigna and Blue Shield of California in August.

Anthem and Somatus did not disclose financial details of the investment. The company has raised $ 140.1 million since its founding in 2016, according to data compiled by Somatus. Crunchbase…

Somatus last time raised $ 60.1 million this year after $ 64 Million Series C Funding Round disclosed in 2020. Investors in the startup include Optum Ventures UnitedHealth Group, hedge fund Deerfield Management and Town Hall Ventures, a venture capital firm founded by former Acting Administrator of Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Andy Slavitt.