Walgreens partners with value-based care platform Pearl Health

Walgreens announced it is partnering with Pearl Health, which offers a technology platform for primary care practices in value-based care arrangements, to expand value-based care options in collaboration with primary care providers. 

Pearl Health offers a technology platform for primary care providers participating in Medicare’s ACO REACH model. The platform includes data visualizations and recommendations that allow clinicians to see which patients may need extra support, such as those with multiple chronic conditions or those recently discharged from a hospital.

The startup’s tools aim to distill patient information into easy-to-digest reports and track metrics like readmission rates and whether patients attend annual wellness visits.

Through the partnership, Walgreens will provide complementary prescription fulfillment, immunizations, medication adherence, diagnostic testing and care-gap closure. The drugstore chain will also work with healthcare providers to assist patients discharged from the hospital transition to home. 

“At Pearl Health, we believe that local primary care providers are key to improving America’s overall health. Our technology-powered value-based care model aligns seamlessly with the healthcare services Walgreens offers, particularly in the most vulnerable communities,” Michael Kopko, chief executive officer of Pearl Health, said in a statement.

“With a focus on proactive, coordinated care, we’ll collaborate to deliver a better solution to providers and ultimately deliver high-quality services to patients while managing their care efficiently. We’re very excited about the implications of this partnership for patients in Medicare and beyond.”

THE LARGER TREND

In January, Pearl Health raised $75 million in Series B funding. The company announced an $18 million Series A in September 2021. 

Other companies providing support and technology services to practices in value-based care arrangements include UpStream Healthcare, which raised $140 million in Series B funding, and Aledade, which scooped up $123 million in a Series E round last year.