Samsung has announced a US partnership with Lark Health to bring AI-coached diabetes prevention to Samsung Health users aged 65 and older. The first program is Lark’s Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program, or MDPP. Samsung’s announcement gives no date for when it will be available in the app.
Who qualifies for Lark through Samsung Health
Eligibility is narrow, so most Samsung Health users won’t qualify. MDPP is meant for Samsung Health users 65 and older who also meet Medicare’s eligibility and qualification requirements. According to Samsung, those include:
- Medicare Part B coverage
- No active diabetes diagnosis
Samsung says qualifying users will get MDPP at no additional out-of-pocket cost. Users 65 and older who don’t qualify may instead be offered Lark Prevention, a separate one-year program. Samsung says that will also come at no additional out-of-pocket cost.
Samsung puts Lark Prevention’s value at $249 a year. That is Samsung’s own valuation, not a price anyone has been charged.
What the Lark program will include
Each Lark program is built around 24/7 AI-powered coaching and health tracking through a smartphone. It covers nutrition, physical activity, sleep and stress. Samsung notes that coaching depends on a network connection.
Eligible MDPP members will also get live clinical resources and healthcare tools, such as a cellular scale, according to Samsung. Samsung describes Lark as a CDC Diabetes Prevention Program provider and an official MDPP provider.
AI coaching is not a diagnosis or a treatment, though. It is a lifestyle program, and it doesn’t replace care from a doctor.
Dr. Hon Pak leads the Digital Health Team in Samsung’s Mobile eXperience business. He framed the partnership around where care happens:
“With an aging population and chronic conditions on the rise, care has to move beyond the clinic and into people’s everyday lives,” he said.
What comes next
Samsung calls MDPP the first phase. A broader rollout is planned through the CMS Innovation Center’s ACCESS Model. That could give eligible users access to more Lark programs for cardiometabolic and behavioral-health conditions. For now, it remains a plan rather than a live service.
Samsung says details on availability and eligibility will come as each program launches. The announcement includes no sign-up steps. Samsung Health was also recently accepted into the Medicare App Library, the company says.
Check what you share before enrolling
This connects a phone health app to a Medicare-linked third-party program. Samsung’s announcement doesn’t spell out what Samsung Health data, if any, is shared with Lark. When enrollment opens, read the consent screens carefully before you agree to share any health data.
Source: Samsung
