Catherine Biermann explains why Medavie Blue Cross is adding dietitian support to its new Connected Care program
Medavie Blue Cross has taken a significant step in digital health with the launch of its gut microbiome testing program, designed to complement existing weight management initiatives through dietitian-led consultations.
Catherine Biermann, manager of digital product solutions and partnership at Medavie Blue Cross, explained the rationale behind this move, emphasizing both emerging trends and practical member support. She noted that the focus on gut health arose from increased awareness on its link to health and well-being, particularly given Canada’s relatively high rate of IBS.
That trend, combined with her sense that Medavie's Connected Care, the digital health services platform, needed to “beef up” its assessment-focused offerings and pushed gut health to the top of the list of areas where the benefits provider wanted to bring forward a structured, clinically grounded service.
“We saw a lot more awareness within the business media that people are starting to recognize its impact on productivity and wellness at work,” she said. “Before we launched this program, we wanted to make sure this wasn't one of those trendy marketing things... We wanted to make sure there's hard science behind it. We sent off a report, and some other information to a medical consultant to review it and give us their feedback about whether or not they thought this was clinically validated,” adding the review confirmed the credibility of the test, and the consultant even considered using it personally.
“When medical professionals want to do the test, that probably tells you they feel pretty good about that,” noted Biermann.
She emphasized that the goal was not to simply offer apps or self-service tools, which are widely available, but to provide meaningful support through professional guidance.
Medavie has partnered with a company in St. John’s, Newfoundland, Nucliq Biologics, chosen both for its expertise and for its founder’s personal experience addressing a gap in the market.
What ultimately differentiated the offering was the depth and complexity of the reporting. Biermann said the sample reports made it clear that members would struggle to interpret the findings without professional guidance. Rather than positioning nutritional counseling as an optional add-on, Medavie chose to embed it directly into the program.
After all, Biermann emphasized the importance of guiding members through the gut health testing process to ensure it is appropriate and understandable. She wanted to avoid situations where someone purchases the test but feels uncomfortable completing it.
To address this, the program includes an initial consultation with a knowledgeable professional to explain the test options and determine the best fit for each individual, followed by a detailed review with a dietitian who can provide personalized recommendations on diet, activity, or other lifestyle changes.
“We really felt it would be better in terms of the whole member journey if we included as part of the program instead of as an option that they work with a registered dietitian,” she said.
By integrating two dietitian consultations - one before testing to explain the process and address comfort levels, and one after to translate results into practical guidance - Medavie aimed to reduce friction and uncertainty for members. Biermann emphasized that gut health testing can involve different collection methods and varying levels of comfort, making upfront education essential.
The stool test, offered by Nucliq, analyzes the bacteria in a sample and compares it to a healthy balance, including diversity and the proportion of helpful versus harmful bacteria, noted Biermann. While Medavie does not actively measure ROI for this service, as members choose services freely on the platform, the test is treated like any other reimbursable health service, such as massage therapy, rather than a product sold on a per-member, per-month basis.
The focus is on its availability under the benefit dietician plan rather than on calculating financial returns, Biermann underscored.
For plan sponsors, downstream savings from the gut health program will take time and sufficient participation before any meaningful analysis can be done. Medavie plans to wait until there is a critical mass of members who have gone through the program before assessing whether there are measurable cost implications.
From a pricing perspective, Biermann acknowledged the cost is straightforward and tied to the type of test a member selects, with pricing around $400 and inclusive of both the test itself and two consultations with a registered dietitian. One option focuses on digestive health, immune support, and mental health, while the other expands on that by examining the relationship between gut health and estrogen-related processes.
Meanwhile, the program’s integration with existing chronic disease management offerings remains primarily informational rather than operational particularly as linking gut health interventions directly to insurance claims is challenging due to the need for large sample sizes and control groups. She noted that while it might be possible to review claims retrospectively, there are practical limitations.
For instance, unlike conditions such as diabetes, where medications can help identify affected members, there is no straightforward way to determine who has an unhealthy gut within the broader member population.
“When we look at our general block, the challenge is we don't know how many of those people have an unhealthy gut… It's a little harder, from a research sort of focus, to be able to say ‘Here's our control group,” she explained, adding that collecting this information would raise privacy concerns, making a precise statistical analysis difficult.
While recognizing the value of understanding potential claims impacts, Biermann believes the program’s focus is more on member engagement and health outcomes than on immediate quantifiable savings.
While the gut health program is not formally integrated with other Connected Care offerings in a technical sense, since each service is delivered by a different provider, Medavie has taken steps to ensure the programs function cohesively from the member’s perspective, noted Biermann.
To that end, she described Medavie’s approach as selective and value driven. The company focuses on areas where it can add meaningful support, rather than duplicating services already widely available.
“The value we add is that we can provide the benefit plan that members can claim under it… If it’s something where it’s already available to members, there’s no way we can get some kind of a special program or a special offer, then we’re not really bringing anything new to our members,” Biermann said.
