Virtual care giant Teladoc Health is diving into chronic condition management with the launch of its own program, Chronic Care Complete.

Under the new offering, patients with diabetes, prediabetes and hypertension are provided connected devices like glucometers and blood pressure cuffs. They're also paired with personal health coaches. They can also work with therapists for mental health concerns and receive care from physicians when needed.

Teladoc said the program will be available to members through their health plans or employers, and the virtual care company will work with clients to find eligible users. 

WHY IT MATTERS

Chronic conditions like diabetes, heart disease and cancer are common in the U.S. and drive the vast majority of healthcare spending, according to the CDC. 

Patients with physical chronic diseases are also more likely to suffer from mental health conditions like depression. 

"The care experience provided by Chronic Care Complete is distinctively designed to assist and guide members through every step of their healthcare journey," Donna Boyer, Teladoc's chief product officer, said in a statement.

"Take, for example, a member newly diagnosed with diabetes. They are not only relying on monitoring and coaching as they learn to live with their new diagnosis, but will receive physician support for determining appropriate medications and adjustments, as well as mental health support for dealing with a potentially life-changing diagnosis."

THE LARGER TREND

Teladoc said the latest program, alongside its mental health offering myStrength Complete and its primary care tool Primary360, were accelerated by the company's 2020 merger with chronic care management company Livongo. 

Last year the company partnered with Trustmark Health Benefits to provide a virtual-first health plan built around Primary360. 

Plenty of digital health, virtual care and remote-monitoring companies have pushed their own tools to better manage chronic health conditions. In January, another player in the telehealth space, MDLIVE, announced it was launching a health-monitoring program focused on chronic-condition care. 

Biofourmis, an AI-enabled virtual care and remote-monitoring company, recently revealed a specialty care program currently focused on heart failure, diabetes, hypertension, atrial fibrillation and lipid management.

In December, Cadence, another startup that remotely monitors patients with diseases like COPD, hypertension, heart failure and Type 2 diabetes, announced it had raised $100 million in Series B financing, bringing its valuation to more than $1 billion.