Dive Brief:
- Aging-in-place health IT company GreatCall acquired Minnesota-based Healthsense, a maker of passive remote monitoring services for seniors.
- The deal gives GreatCall access to a broader range of services for senior living and healthcare, including real-time alerts, an emergency pendant and sensors to track sleep and other daily living activities.
- This is GreatCall’s second major acquisition, following the purchase of remote monitoring company Lively late last year, mobihealthnews reports. The San Diego tech firm got its start making smartphones for seniors.
Dive Insight:
An independent study with Fallon Health found that integrating Healthsense’s remote monitoring with Fallon’s senior care model cut medical costs by $687 per member per month — 16% less than costs for individuals in a control group. Inpatient hospital stays, emergency room visits and long-term care expenses all saw significant declines.
Healthsense provides remote patient monitoring solutions for more than 20,000 seniors, manage care and home care patients.
“GreatCall is the ideal partner to take the company to the next level,” A.R. Weiler, CEO and president of Healthsense, said in a statement. “We know that older adults want to age independently as long as possible, and the technology and support that GreatCall can provide will allow more of them to achieve this goal.”
The company raised $10 million in a 204 funding round, bringing total investments to $17 million. Backers have included Fallon Community Health Plan, Merck Global Ventures and Radius Ventures.