SingFit, a therapeutic music health platform for people struggling with cognitive and mental health conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease, will now be provided under Longevity Health Plan’s institutionalized special needs plan (ISNP) offerings.
Longevity Health Plan’s ISNP is a specialized Medicare Advantage plan that serves people living in skilled nursing facilities. SingFit will be offered to nursing facility residents in eight states and is already offered to more than 500 senior living communities and 50 enterprise customers. It is the first ISNP to cover the cost of SingFit.
“Longevity’s decision to approve the use of SingFit for its members is a historic moment for those suffering from cognitive issues within the United States,” said Rachel Francine, CEO and co-founder of Musical Health Technologies, the creator of SingFit, in a statement. “While many national health systems recognize the benefits of music, payers in the United States have lagged behind. Longevity’s forward-thinking approach and how they leverage technology through breakthrough programs will accelerate the adoption of music as medicine and we’re honored to partner with them as we provide potentially thousands of members with SingFit.”
SingFit helps people dealing with depression, anxiety, speech impairments and social isolation. Caregivers, without needing prior musical training, deliver sessions in group and one-on-one sessions using Lyric Coach, a technology that includes a catalog of music. The goal is for nursing home residents to remember memories associated with songs and conversational prompts.
“Joining as an Activity Director at one of the partner facilities, I never imagined a therapeutic music program that could connect elderly people with one another, spark memories and joy, while also fostering transformation through thoughtful engagement,” said member advocate Sara Leung.
A study published in the National Library of Medicine studying the benefits of community-based singing concluded that music-based activities “should be given to promote wellbeing among the general public” and could be considered a significant treatment option for certain communities following COVID-19.
Musical Health Technologies was founded in 2016. More than 2,600 staff members at long-term facilities have gone through SingFit training, and there have been 12 million individual sessions to date.