Revel Health said it will partner with Coriell Life Sciences (CLS) to help members of Medicare Advantage plans understand how prescription drugs impact them based on their DNA, through a collaboration whose value was not disclosed.
CLS, a Philadelphia-based provider of genetic interpretation and reporting, offers genetic panel testing for medication response, with the goal of delivering precision medicine through pharmacogenetics.
CLS and Revel Health said they will communicate the genetic testing offering to Medicare Advantage members using Revel Connect, Revel Health’s health action platform, and help those members understand their personal risk for medications through multiple channels of communication.
Revel Connect is designed to investigate the social barriers and personal attributes that impact health plan members to take action to complete a DNA test, through the use of data science, behavioral research, and multi-channel communication tools.
Based on each member’s needs, Revel Connect creates targeted multi-channel digital communications to prompt members into taking health action in real time, with the goal of driving healthier outcomes related to medication risk.
The FDA has pharmacogenomics information on the labels of more than 200 drugs whose safety and efficacy are known to be impacted by a person’s genes. However, about one-fifth of medications prescribed to seniors are inappropriate. As of last year, the FDA said that it received more than 100,000 U.S. reports each year associated with a suspected medication error.
“The reality is that medications impact each of us differently based on our genetics,” Scott Megill, CLS’ President and CEO, said yesterday in a statement. “Our goal is to protect the most vulnerable, and Revel Health was a natural digital partner in helping us to deliver on this goal. Revel Health’s platform has enabled us to communicate with vulnerable populations and grow their understanding of the impact of medications they’re taking based on their genetics.”
In June, Revel Health and CLS launched the first wave of a program to reach more than 22,000 Medicare Advantage members via a multiple-channel approach that included text, email, interactive voice (IVR), and mail. The program was intended to communicate the importance of DNA testing for medication efficacy, as well as to drive members to work with CLS to get tested, the companies said.
Medicare Advantage refers to Medicare health plans offered by private companies that contract with Medicare to provide all Part A and Part B benefits. Most Medicare Advantage plans also offer prescription drug coverage.
“CLS is committed to helping members understand how their genes can impact a response to certain medications, and this commitment shows in their desire to use the latest tools and techniques in driving healthier action,” added Revel Health CEO Jeff Fritz.
In August 2019, CLS launched a partnership with KPMG and Thermo Fisher Scientific to offer pharmacogenomic testing to customers of KPMG’s Care Continuum Optimization platform, with the aim of improving medication safety and clinical outcomes for clinicians. Through the partnership, clinicians could access CLS’ Enterprise PGx (EPGx) program with pharmacogenomics data from KPMG’s Clinical Intelligence (KCI) platform, as well as Thermo Fisher’s genetic analysis and next-generation sequencing technologies.
