AARP picks Luna as its exclusive provider of in-home physical therapy

Steven Loeb · February 13, 2023 · Short URL: https://vator.tv/n/5636

38M members will have access to Luna's on-demand therapists

Half of all American adults are affected by a musculoskeletal condition, and these issues are a particularly big problem in the elderly population, with some of the most common conditions including osteoarthritis, tendinitis, spondylosis, bursitis, rheumatoid arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and fibromyalgia.

This is a group that really needs MSK care and that's why AARP announced on Monday that it chose Luna to be the exclusive provider of in-home physical therapy for its 38 million members.

As a result of this partnership, AARP members will be matched with local therapists at the time and location of their choosing based on factors such as specialty, geography, and schedule. 

Members will be able to schedule in-home physical therapy sessions directly with Luna therapists at their convenience by speaking with a Luna concierge representative via a dedicated toll-free number specifically for AARP members. The Luna concierge representative will explain how Luna works, answer all of their questions and then schedule the AARP member with a licensed physical therapist suited perfectly for them.

The AARP member will work with the same Luna physical therapist throughout their therapy treatments. 

"They were looking for a national platform to provide outpatient PT to their members. Luna was able to meet this need based on our 48 markets being deployed across 27 states, where anyone can receive in-person outpatient PT delivered to their homes for the regular co-pay of going to a clinic," Palak Shah, co-founder and head of clinical operations at Luna, told VatorNews.

"Receiving high-quality physical therapy at home has been shown to produce dramatic improvements in health including a 50% reduction in reported pain and a 60% improvement in joint range of motion and mobility."

Luna currently operates across 50 markets in 27 states and has treated over 30,000 patients in their homes. The company saw 6,183% growth in visits during the four consecutive years since it was founded in 2018 and this coming year, thanks to the influx of AARP members, it expects to serve around 50,000 patients.

Shah sees AARP choosing the Luna platform as a validation of the company's services and results, especially given AARP's "extremely thorough" vetting process for "choosing to partner with select organizations that can provide the highest level of service and desired outcomes for the AARP members.

"Luna's world-class patient satisfaction scores, track record for generating meaningful patient health outcomes, and national service areas were driving factors in AARP choosing to work with Luna. AARP also understands the shift in consumer preference to receiving health care service in the comfort and safety of their homes," she explained.

"AARP's partnership with Luna makes high-quality physical therapy care at home immediately accessible to their members. AARP's partnership with Luna is AARP's first foray into in-person healthcare delivered to people in their homes and their selection of Luna is indicative of their belief and trust in Luna's capabilities to deliver a great AARP member experience."

In addition, Luna's exclusive provider status with AARP puts it into rare company: the company joins Oak Street Health and United Healthcare as the only providers to have these types of arrangements with AARP. UnitedHealthcare is the exclusive insurer of AARP Medicare Supplement insurance plans, while Oak Street Health, a network of value-based primary care centers for adults on Medicare, was selected by AARP in 2021 as the only primary care provider to carry the AARP name. 

Going forward, Luna will look to expand its line of therapy services to include Occupational and Speech therapies before the end of this year. 

"Luna is on a mission to extend and expand high-quality healthcare to as many people as possible, directly and immediately solving the challenge of access to quality physical therapy for millions of Americans," said Shah. 

Support VatorNews by Donating

Read more from our "Trends and news" series

More episodes