Information

Support for GLP-1 weight-loss medications

Virta offers nutrition and lifestyle support tailored to your goals, preferences, and daily life—services that typically aren’t available through standard medical visits alone.

Virta supports associates enrolled in a BCBS medical plan who are using—or considering—a GLP-1 medication for weight loss. Participation is required for GLP-1 coverage and helps ensure you have the medical oversight, nutrition guidance, and personalized support needed for long-term success.

Your Virta care team

Every Virta member works with a dedicated care team that includes a medical provider who oversees your care, reviews health data, and manages prescribing or deprescribing decisions; registered nurse–certified coaches who provide ongoing support, especially for members using GLP-1 medications; and coaching support for nutrition and behavior change, available through the Virta app.

Your care team uses shared decision-making and supports you at the level you need—daily, if you choose.

Using Virta with your current providers

Virta respects your existing relationships with your personal doctors and dietitians. You are encouraged to continue seeing them. During enrollment, you may choose to share your providers’ information so Virta can coordinate care and keep them informed, if appropriate.

If you’re currently using a GLP-1

Associates already taking a GLP-1 medication for weight loss must enroll in Virta to continue receiving prescriptions under Veradigm’s BCBS plans.

Enrollment includes registering with Virta and completing a video appointment with a Virta provider. During this appointment, you’ll review your goals and treatment options and make shared decisions about your care. If continuing a GLP-1 is appropriate, Virta will coordinate prescription refills with your preferred pharmacy.

To avoid any interruption in coverage, be sure to allow enough time to complete the enrollment process.

If you’re planning to start a GLP-1

Associates who plan to begin using a GLP-1 medication for weight loss must participate in Virta before starting treatment. Virta evaluates eligibility based on FDA guidelines and provides ongoing support for medication use, side-effect management, and lifestyle changes.

Eligibility guidelines

GLP-1 medications for weight loss are prescribed based on FDA criteria. In general, this includes individuals who have a BMI of 30 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher with a weight-related medical condition.

Associates already using a GLP-1 do not need to requalify under these criteria to continue their prescription.

If you experience a qualifying life event — like marriage, birth, or a change in coverage — you can update your benefits within 30 days.

Find out more

Why it’s important

Lowers your chances of serious illness, hospitalization, or complications.
Can reduce the severity of other respiratory infections.
Helps shield vulnerable populations, including young children, older adults, and people with ongoing health conditions.

Higher-risk groups include:

Adults 65 and older.
Children younger than five.
Pregnant women.
People with chronic conditions like asthma, heart disease, or diabetes.
Residents of long-term care facilities.

Your flu shot is covered

If you’re enrolled in a Veradigm medical plan, your flu vaccine is covered in full when you use an in-network provider. To find an in network provider:

BCBS: https://www.bcbs.com under “Find Care.”
Kaiser: A Complete Guide to The Flu & Flu Shots

Plan ahead

It takes about two weeks after vaccination for your body to build protection. Getting your shot now means you’ll be ready when flu season peaks.

No Surprises Act

Effective January 1, 2022, the No Surprises Act provides protections against surprise billing, or balance billing, under medical plans, such as those offered by Veradigm.

When you receive emergency care or are treated by an out-of-network provider at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, you have protection from surprise billing. What is “surprise billing”? When you see a doctor or other health care provider, you may owe certain out-of-pocket costs, such as a copayment, coinsurance, and/or a deductible. You may also have other costs or have to pay the entire bill if you see a provider or visit a health care facility that is out-of-network.

Under the No Surprises Act, you are protected from surprise billing in certain circumstances, such as:

Emergency services. If you have an emergency medical condition and get emergency services from an out-of-network provider or facility, the most the provider or facility may bill you is your plan’s in network cost-sharing amount (such as copayments and coinsurance). You can’t be balance billed for these emergency services. This includes services you may get after you’re in stable condition, unless you give written consent to be balanced billed for these post-stabilization services. The No Surprises Act defines which types of services fall into these categories.
Certain services at an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center. When you receive services from an in-network hospital or ambulatory surgical center, certain providers there may be out-of-network.

Learn more about your rights under the No Surprises Act.

Transparency in Coverage Rule

Effective July, 1, 2022, the Transparency in Coverage rule requires most group health plans to provide publicly available machine-readable files that include in-network negotiated payment rates and historical out-of-network charges for covered items and services, including prescriptions drugs. This rule is designed to help patients know how much their health care will cost in advance of treatment.

Starting July 1, 2022, you can link to these files (provided by Cigna and updated monthly) by going to: https://www.cigna.com/legal/compliance/machine-readable-files

Note: This link leads to the machine-readable files that are made available in response to the federal Transparency in Coverage Rule and includes negotiated service rates and out-of-network allowed amounts between health plans and healthcare providers. The machine-readable files are formatted to allow researchers, regulators, and application developers to more easily access and analyze data.

Virta

Support for GLP-1 weight-loss medications

Your Virta care team

Using Virta with your current providers

If you’re currently using a GLP-1

If you’re planning to start a GLP-1

Eligibility guidelines

Enrollment timing

Downloads

End-of-year benefits reminders for employees

Making benefit changes during the year

Fight the flu this season—get your flu shot