WellTheory Partners with Sentara Health Plans to Expand Access to Whole-Person Autoimmune Care

WellTheory’s Virtual Program is Now Supporting Sentara Health Plans Members with Personalized, Root-Cause-Driven Care

SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--WellTheory, a first-of-its-kind virtual solution for the 50 million Americans suffering with autoimmune disease, today announced its partnership with Sentara Health Plans, the health plan division of Sentara Health, an integrated, not-for-profit health care delivery system. Through this collaboration, WellTheory will deliver personalized, whole-person autoimmune care to Sentara Health Plans’ diverse member population—with a special focus on improving outcomes for underserved communities.

Autoimmune conditions, which span more than 100 diagnoses, now cost the U.S. healthcare system over $100 billion annually and account for a rapidly growing share of pharmacy spend. At Sentara Health Plans, a significant portion of medical and pharmacy spend is related to treating autoimmune conditions and many of their members experience the impacts of autoimmune condition symptoms in their daily lives. The partnership, which is projected to cut autoimmune care spend for Sentara Health Plans by reducing costs of expensive interventions, also aims to improve quality of life for patients.

“Autoimmune disease is one of the biggest cost drivers in healthcare today—and yet most people still go years without a diagnosis or effective treatment,” said Ellen Rudolph, CEO and Co-Founder of WellTheory. “I know this firsthand: I cost my health plan over $20,000 in just one year of my diagnosis journey trying to get answers. That’s why we built WellTheory—to fill the care gap for the millions of Americans suffering in silence. We’re proud to partner with Sentara Health Plans to bring this model to life for their members.”

Sentara Health Plans provides coverage for more than one million members in Virginia and Florida. Its fully insured and self-funded members now have access to WellTheory’s 12-month virtual care program, which includes a 6-month intensive phase followed by a 6-month maintenance phase. The program begins with WellTheory’s proprietary Root Cause Assessment to uncover the drivers of each member’s symptoms and is delivered by a dedicated care team—including a licensed registered dietitian, a board-certified health coach, and a care coordinator—who provide high-touch, personalized support. Members receive individualized care plans, 1:1 video visits, unlimited messaging, access to digital tools, educational content, and a supportive community.

“At Sentara Health Plans, we’ve always believed that health care should be as diverse and dynamic as the people we serve,” said Dr. Kristyn Greifer, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer of Sentara Health Plans. “By partnering with WellTheory, we’re taking an important step in offering our members personalized solutions that meet them where they are—especially those navigating the complexities of autoimmune disease. Our members are the reason we do this work, and we’ll continue investing in benefits that support their long-term health and well-being.”

About Sentara Health

Sentara Health, an integrated, not-for-profit health care delivery system, celebrates more than 135 years in pursuit of its mission - "we improve health every day." Sentara is one of the largest health systems in the U.S. Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, and among the top 20 largest not-for-profit integrated health systems in the country, with 34,000 employees, 12 hospitals in Virginia and Northeastern North Carolina, including 10 hospitals with the prestigious Magnet® recognition, and the Sentara Health Plans division which serves more than one million members in Virginia and Florida. Sentara is recognized nationally for clinical quality and safety and is strategically focused on innovation and creating an extraordinary health care experience for our patients and members. Sentara was named a Health Quality Innovator of the Year (2024), and was recognized by Forbes as "America’s Best-In-State Employer” (2024), "Best Employer for Veterans" (2022, 2023), and "Best Employer for Women" (2020).

About Sentara Health Plans

Sentara Health Plans provides health plan coverage to more than one million members in Virginia and Florida. Sentara Health Plans offers a full suite of commercial products including employee-owned and employer-sponsored plans, as well as Individual & Family Health Plans, Employee Assistance Programs and plans serving Dual-Eligible, Medicare, and Medicaid enrollees.

About WellTheory

WellTheory is a virtual care platform reversing the autoimmune epidemic by filling the gaps left behind in traditional healthcare. WellTheory offers a research-backed proprietary program that addresses the root cause of autoimmunity and treats the whole person with the aim to reduce symptoms, improve quality of life, and lower costs. WellTheory’s platform centers around evidence-based, high-touch care led by an interdisciplinary team of autoimmune experts, including licensed registered dietitians and board-certified health coaches. It’s an anti-symptom-masking model that goes beyond the pill, built by autoimmune patients and validated by decades of clinical research.