How smart-ring company Oura expanded its reach beyond Silicon Valley insiders

Hello,

Welcome to Insider Healthcare. I'm Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer, and today in healthcare news:

• Oura's CEO explains how the company's smart ring became a favorite of companies looking to reopen;
• Anthem's Bryony Winn shares the insurer's approach to primary care;
• Louisiana is facing a dire surge of coronavirus cases that could overwhelm its healthcare system.

If you're new to this newsletter, sign up here. Comments, tips? Email me at lramsey@insider.com or tweet @lydiaramsey125. Let's get to it...

Oura's smart ring has been a hit with Silicon Valley insiders. After the pandemic hit, companies looking for ways to aid nationwide reopening came flocking.

• Oura's CEO said smart-ring sales have increased among companies buying them for employees.
• Before the pandemic, Oura rings were mostly bought by individual customers.
• He thinks the future of wearable technology could hinge on companies' benefits strategies.

Find out more>>

A top Anthem exec explains why the $92 billion health-insurance giant is betting on a different primary-care strategy than rivals UnitedHealth and Humana

• Health insurers have been pushing deeper into providing care directly to patients.
• Anthem exec Bryony Winn broke down how the insurer partners with doctors and equips them with data.
• Its approach differs from that of UnitedHealth and Humana, which have acquired and built clinics.

Get the full story>>

Louisiana is approaching a 'major failure' of its healthcare system as hospitals get dangerously close to capacity

• Hospitals are at least 70% full in all but one region in Louisiana.
• Several regions have just a handful of ICU beds left amid the state's dramatic COVID-19 surge.
• State health officials warn of catastrophic outcomes, such as patients being denied critical care.

Read more>>

More stories we're reading:

• Verily is buying clinical trials company SignalPath (Stat News)
• Watch: The 8 most pressing questions about vaccines and boosters, answered (Insider)
• A Chicago pharmacist has been charged with selling vaccine cards online (Washington Post)
• A single COVID-19 case in New Zealand has sparked another full national lockdown. 'We need to again go hard and early,' the prime minister said. (Insider)

- Lydia