Digital health has long promised to transform chronic disease management, but employers and payers are increasingly demanding more than engagement metrics and user satisfaction scores. As healthcare costs rise and chronic conditions continue to drive the bulk of medical spend, the spotlight is shifting towards claims-based evidence, actuarial validation and measurable return on investment. Against this backdrop, Precision Biology platforms that integrate biomarkers, genomics and gut microbiome insights are emerging as a new frontier in employer-sponsored care.
In this interview, Aniket Sengar, VP, Marketing Operations at Digbi Health, discusses how a newly peer-reviewed, actuarially validated claims analysis is redefining how employers evaluate digital care platforms. The conversation explores why treating multiple chronic conditions on a single biology-driven platform delivers superior outcomes, how precision insights reduce pharmaceutical dependence and healthcare utilisation, and what guaranteed outcomes could mean for future partnerships between digital health companies, employers and health plans. The interview also examines the growing role of microbiome science and genomics in shaping future standards of care and why “vibe ROI” may finally be giving way to hard, data-backed results.
How significant is this peer-reviewed, actuarially validated claims analysis in changing how employers evaluate digital care platforms?
This sets a new benchmark for digital health. For too long, our industry relied on "soft" metrics, engagement rates, and satisfaction scores that don't translate to what CFOs actually care about - medical claims reduction.
This study is peer-reviewed, actuarially validated using the same methodology insurers use to price risk, and based on actual claims data across multiple employers over multiple years. Employers evaluating digital health vendors should now be asking, "Show me your claims-based evidence." The era of "vibe ROI" should be over.
Why is treating multiple chronic conditions on a single Precision Biology platform more effective than condition-specific digital programs?
Chronic conditions don't exist in isolation; they share biological root causes. Obesity, diabetes, digestive disorders, and anxiety are interconnected through metabolic pathways, gut microbiome composition, and genetic predisposition. Separate point solutions treat symptoms while missing the underlying biology.
Our platform uses over 8,000 biomarkers to understand each person's unique biology and treat multiple conditions simultaneously. When you address root causes such as gut dysbiosis, which drive both metabolic dysfunction and mood disorders, you see cascading benefits across conditions. That's why our study shows reductions across obesity, GI, anxiety, and overall medical spend.
How do gut microbiome and genetic insights translate into lower pharmaceutical utilisation and reduced costs?
Traditional chronic disease management is trial-and-error: prescribe a standard medication, wait, adjust, try alternatives. This approach is expensive in pharmaceutical costs and downstream complications.
Our biomarkers reveal why someone developed their condition and which interventions will work for their specific biology. When you match intervention to biology, adherence improves because people see results. Better adherence and effective condition management mean fewer ER visits, fewer hospitalisations, and lower pharmaceutical utilisation. The savings flow naturally from precision.
How does your integrated GLP-1 approach improve adherence, reduce side effects, and extend cost savings?
GLP-1s are effective but expensive, often $1,000+ monthly, and roughly two-thirds of patients discontinue before 12 weeks due to side effects or lack of support.
Our approach addresses this in three ways: First, we use biomarkers to identify who truly needs GLP-1 therapy versus who can achieve goals through lifestyle intervention alone. Second, personalised nutrition guidance significantly reduces the GI side effects that cause most people to quit. Third, we support successful tapering to achieve sustainable results, not lifelong medication dependence.
By improving adherence and supporting appropriate therapy duration, we help employers realise the full value of their GLP-1 investment.
How do you see Precision Biology influencing future standards of care?
The USDA's recognition of gut microbiome-based approaches in the 2025 Dietary Guidelines signals that mainstream institutions are ready to incorporate these insights into population health recommendations.
We see Precision Biology becoming the standard for chronic disease management, not an alternative approach. The current standard of treating populations with generic protocols will look as outdated as practising medicine without diagnostic testing. Over 100 employers have already adopted our platform because they recognise Precision Biology as the new standard of care.
How will actuarially guaranteed outcomes reshape partnerships between digital health companies, employers, and health plans?
When digital health companies can actuarially guarantee outcomes, putting real dollars at risk based on claims performance, the conversation changes entirely.
For employers, digital health shifts from a "nice to have" wellness benefit to a strategic investment with quantifiable returns. For health plans, validated outcomes data provides competitive differentiation. For digital health companies, this creates healthy market pressure; vendors who can't demonstrate hard-dollar ROI will struggle against those who can. The ultimate beneficiary is the patient. When everyone aligns around measurable health outcomes rather than engagement metrics, care quality improves.
