Virta Health: Reverse your type 2 diabetes with ketogenic coaching
The just launched tech company Virta Health can help you reverse your type 2 diabetes, with the help of a ketogenic diet, a mobile app and coaching by nutritionists and doctors.
It’s possible to sign up and pay cash if you’re not on an employer-sponsored health plan. The price has been a bit unclear until now, but appears to be $400 per month for the first year:
diaTribe (dT): How will the individual version of Virta Health be priced?
Virta Health (VH): Most of Virta’s patients come through employer-sponsored health plans, and Virta is covered for those people. For patients who come to Virta directly, we offer an out-of-pocket (cash-pay) option that costs roughly $400 per month for the first year. Virta has both monthly and yearly payment options, and also offers a patient assistance program based on the ability to pay. After you apply online, you’ll receive more information about Virta that includes pricing details, which you can review before scheduling a consultation.
diaTribe: Virta Health: Reversing Type 2 Diabetes with Low-Carb Diets & Coaching
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It's great that mainstream medicine is starting the recognize the benefits of low-carb in reversing T2D and metabolic syndrome, but this is troubling. This seems intended to "medicalize" low-carb so these guys can charge insurance and medicaid for big bucks for their "professional" assistance. If the past is any history, look next for a push to make things like ketosticks prescription only to keep them out of the hands of us amateurs. Of course, the price will skyrocket once availability is restricted. All part of the plan. Peter Attia should be ashamed for lending his name to this.
The medical industry is heavily responsible for the current epidemic with their destructive nutrition advice and pill for every ailment mentality. Now that common folks apart from them have found something that works, they apparently intend to appropriate it as their own. Of course that will come with their ridiculous inflated costs as their "expertise" ain't cheap. No thanks.
NO THANKS.. We have Diet Doctor!
Who would need this service? Unless they start demanding we take perscriptions to get our weekly shop, they will never be able to medicalise low carb.
I think is more than a meal plan, it looks like the person is followed by doctors and have access to a coach anytime.
Those clients who are being helped by this
system are getting off diabetes medications,
neuropathy medications and others. How
much do those medications cost each month?
Right there $400/month pales in comparison.
How much is it worth to not have retinopathy
advance? How much is it worth to have a
doctor monitor in real time your blood sugar
along with your medications? What would
your doctor charge to do the same thing, if
they even would or could?
How much is it worth to have a professional
to answer personal questions and oversee
your program, not just a few words on a
blog, but a real discussion with a like-minded
doctor?
Do you want others to look at
what you charge in your business and declare
that you overcharge people who desperately
need your services?
We're all doing what we can.
I would be willing to bet that fewer than a couple dozen people actually sign up to pay this out of their own pocket. The point of these exorbitant fees is to get them established as the norm so they can justify bilking insurance companies and the government once this becomes the standard of care. They are attempting to take low carb/keto and turn it into a medical "treatment", and along with that comes the ridiculously inflated prices of US health care, of course.
The truth regarding low carb's ability to reverse T2D is now undeniable and the medical industry knows it. They need to change tactics or they will completely lose credibility. We'll likely soon start hearing how low carb/keto is "very effective but can be extremely dangerous unless medically-supervised". That will clear the way to for the US medical industry to take it over. Virta looks like the opening shot to me.
AFAIK Virta is getting their referrals from
U.S. clients. and $400/month in medications
is commonly low.
No everyone can do it on their own.
No bilking involved.
The average American diabetic patient spends probably close to $1000 a month on care and medications.....even if covered with insurance because of very high deductibles that can be as high as $12000 a year.
The fact is this inefficient system of multiple private insurances creates a huge and very costly bureaucracy that keeps prices very high.
Their prices will likely come down over time, and they'll likely offer lower-priced, less exclusive services to suit more people.
Well played...
Virta has two payment options for patients, with a minimum commitment of 12 months.
Option 1: Lump sum annual payment
$4,500 for year 1, paid up front
Subsequent years are reduced to $2,250 paid annually
Option 2: Initiation fee and monthly payments
$370 paid monthly for year 1, with a $500 initiation fee up front
Subsequent years are reduced to $199 paid monthly, with no initiation fee
Kind regards,
xxx
Here is a company that has the right idea, treating diabetes at its core by providing information and support on a ketogenic lifestyle. Sure it might sound expensive, but lets face it, there needs to be a profitable future for these kind of companies in order for the "keto industry" to really take off. Profitability and money is key to this paradigm shift.
And also, I love the fact that there are all these different alternatives out there. If you can do great by just reading the information on dietdoctor.com and through that change your life then that is awesome, but for someone else who needs more support this can be the best investment they ever make.
I also would like to point out i'm not affiliated with either party here, I'm just a normal guy who would like to see this paradigm shift take place and for that we all need to pull in the same direction!
/Nils
If they want to publish peer reviewed stuff, and re-invent the wheel, let them pay for it.
Whilst I'm at it here : can anyone recommend a doctor who can help me with keto in Belgium? Any language OK with me.
Diabetes is expensive, and medical practice has been shaped by research, which is funded in large part by pharmaceuticals. Current guidelines for T2DM management are flawed, but religiously followed.
Virta has the potential to change the way diabetes is managed. Yes, it costs nothing to follow a keto diet, but daily support, individualization of therapy, medical monitoring to reduce and eliminate my diabetes and hypertension meds safely, test strips, and integration of care with my local MD is a bargain at $4500 for one year. If they acquire the data needed to influence current management guidelines, US health care costs could actually plummet.
Go Virta!
Would love to change my life through diet but I have no will power
Awful
but just don't eat carbohydrates. Pretty simple.
All those "expensive diabetes medications" that old people are on? Medicare covers that. They're not seeing the full price of that. If they had to pay $400 a month out of pocket they'd be eating cat food and living in boxes on the street. To imply that this is somehow a savings for what most people even in the USA are getting subsidized in the first place is insane.
*I* can't afford $400 a month. Thank Jeebus I already have a pretty good idea what to do, but I really feel sorry for people whose insurance doesn't cover this, or who don't have insurance (the ACA didn't rescue everybody--thanks a lot, "conservative" states), because they aren't going to have $400 of wiggle room either. It's not even about "caring enough". It's about THERE IS NO WIGGLE ROOM TO SQUEEZE OUT $400 EXTRA A MONTH.
If you've never been in that situation, instead of blaming people for something you don't understand, count your blessings.
P.S. This is why so many poor people are fat and/or diabetic!
And you better *get* the willpower or you'll blow through your sleeve and hurt yourself.
What I find most interesting is that Virta wants their yearly money upfront (or a 12 month contract-which sounds like no way out). They also want an initiation fee-(what is this a fraternity??). It seems to me that they want their money upfront because once the patient "finds out" what it is all about they realize they can do this on their own for almost no money at all. It seems they are preying on desperate people who don't know where to turn.
Granted there may be a handful of people with extensive health issues that need tight Dr supervision, but let's face it these folks are most likely already being followed by scads of Dr.s. Why not just go LCHF or keto and not bother telling them? Let your improved health guide their treatment plan (and baffle them at the same time).
It is really no surprise that Keto is going corporate--it was only a matter of time. Here's a tip: invest in the food industry now, because there is no doubt there are a slew of "keto" products coming to a store near by.
Keep On, Keto-ing On!
you have no health issues. This is the new model.
Virta gives great value for the money. Don't be so sure
people can do this (reversing diabetes) on their own.
The medical supervision is necessary to protect against
hypos and other common issues faced by diabetes sufferers.
Congratulations that you have the fortitude to take it on by yourself.
By the by, do you have diabetes?
I work at Purdue University and have many diabetic and pre-diabetic co-workers participating in the Virta program (fortunately) covered by Purdue's health care options. One of our local city governments is also covering their workers participation. It's a wonderful program, ran by caring people, that's helping my friends live better lives and and get off of meds. The level of support and interaction provided to the participants is astounding. They receive very close monitoring and have almost instant access to medical support/advice/coaching. Some of the harsh "do it yourself" comments above surprised me. I'm sure some could, but once your at that level, diabetes is a tricky thing and doing it all oneself could actually be quite dangerous. I'm so happy for (and a wee bit jealous of :) ) my friends and co-workers who are getting the support and monitoring they need to get healthy. Yes, the $400 discussed is no small amount for most of us, but I know some who will spend $300 a month on mail-you-food diet programs--and many do. I know what I believe to be the better value. --Respectfully submitted