Renalytix secures contract with major US health insurance provider to boost coverage for kidney function test

Renalytix (RENX) , an AI-enabled in vitro diagnostics company, has signed a contract with BlueCross and BlueShield of Texas, the largest statewide health insurance provider, to expand insurance coverage of KidneyIntelX™ in Texas.

KidneyIntelX™ is a test that helps predict if adults with type 2 diabetes and early-stage kidney problems are at risk of rapidly progressive decline in kidney function. 

BlueCross and BlueShield Texas works with over 140,000 healthcare providers and 520 hospitals. This partnership adds to existing coverage from other Blues plans including Wellmark in Iowa and South Dakota ( 2.1 million covered lives), BlueCross BlueShield of Illinois (8.1 million covered lives), and CareFirst (3.4 million covered lives).

In addition, Renalytix has secured a contract with Parkland Community Health Plan, a Dallas based insurance plan with over 300,000 covered lives and service in seven counties, for insurance coverage of KidneyIntelX.
 

View from Vox 

Securing coverage from these major statewide plans marks a key step in making KidneyIntelX™ available to a large population of adults suffering from type 2 diabetes and early-stage kidney disease.

KidneyIntelX™ splits patients into three risk levels - low, moderate, and high - which then provides clinicians with information on patient risk for progressive decline in kidney function within five years. 

Over 37 million Americans (approximately 1 in 10) have diabetes, with about 90-95% of them having type 2 diabetes. Demand for KidneyIntelX™ is augmented by the fact that many people remain undiagnosed, with approximately 23% of adults unaware they have type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, type 2 diabetes affects various vital organs such as the heart, blood vessels, nerves, eyes, and kidneys, with diabetic kidney disease developing in 30-50% of individuals with type 2 diabetes.

KidneyIntelX™ is underpinned by Renalytix’s KidneyIntelX platform, which combines blood-based biomarkers with clinical variables using an AI-enabled algorithm, providing information to guide care in large, at-risk patient populations. 

Overall, Renalytix's KidneyIntelX™ test should help to provide a solution to kidney disease management by assessing the risk and progression of kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Follow Renalytix for more News and Updates: