Marathon Health, Medbridge Partner to Launch Integrated Virtual MSK Care Program

Marathon Health and Medbridge have launched a new hybrid musculoskeletal (MSK) program that integrates virtual care into advanced primary care, aiming to improve outcomes while lowering costs for employer and Taft-Hartley plan sponsors.1

The partnership, announced in a Medbridge news release, reflects a broader trend in employer-sponsored health care: consolidating point solutions into more comprehensive, cost-effective models.

According to the Business Group on Health’s 2026 Employer Health Care Strategy Survey, 71% of employers rank MSK conditions among their top 3 health care cost drivers. Although MSK disorders are common and disabling, many existing digital MSK tools operate in isolation from primary care. Employers say this contributes to higher overall spending and a disjointed patient experience.

Meeting Patients Where They Are

Episodic costs are projected to decline by 50% to 63% with the program. | Image credit: insta_photos – stock.adobe.com

The collaboration between Marathon Health and Medbridge aims to address this fragmentation by embedding Medbridge’s evidence-based Pathways platform into Marathon’s MoveWell MSK program and advanced primary care model. According to the news release, the goal is to provide patients with a continuum of care that spans in-person visits, virtual consultations, and self-guided digital programs.

“Our partnership with Medbridge allows us to innovate on a care model that already works,” Jon Strychasz, national director of physical therapy and MSK at Marathon Health, said in the release. “Our primary care providers continue to see an increase in MSK conditions among our population. Pathways enables us to deliver MSK care that meets patients where they are—in-person, virtually, or both.”

Key program features include digital self-guided and hybrid MSK programs, triage and care planning tools that align with patient preferences, and advanced motion capture technology to improve assessment and outcomes. Employers also gain access to robust reporting dashboards, offering transparency into patient engagement and outcomes.

Addressing Employer Cost Pressures

The rising costs of MSK disorders have long challenged employers, unions, and health plans.1,2 Back pain, joint disorders, and related conditions account for significant absenteeism and disability, while treatments often involve fragmented specialty care. Many employers have experimented with standalone digital MSK vendors in an effort to expand access and lower costs, but such solutions can complicate care navigation and dilute the role of primary care providers.1

“Too often, digital MSK care is siloed,” said Donovan Campbell, CEO of Medbridge. “With Pathways, we’re not trying to replace what’s already working—we’re helping to expand it. This is about empowering the Marathon care teams and consumers with digital tools that enhance care, not complicate it.”

By integrating MSK care directly into primary care, Marathon Health projects that episodic costs could decline by 50% to 63% compared with traditional or purely digital MSK solutions, based on an average episode of care costing $400 on average compared with $800 to $1100. Employers could also benefit from reduced administrative complexity, as the approach eliminates the need to manage multiple vendors and ensures patients remain within a single coordinated care ecosystem, according to the release.

Streamlining the Patient Journey

A central selling point of the program is continuity of care. Instead of being referred outside the system, patients with MSK concerns can be enrolled quickly into digital or hybrid programs overseen by their primary care team. This aligns with Marathon’s broader model, which emphasizes whole-person care and relies on primary care relationships to deliver roughly 90% of health care needs.

“Employers are tired of managing point solutions that exacerbate system fragmentation and patient journey complexity,” said Leah Shlyakhov, chief client partner at Medbridge. “This is a more thoughtful, integrated approach that keeps patients connected to primary care providers and meets them where they are—whether that’s at home, in a health center, or on the job.”

By consolidating MSK care into an advanced primary care framework, the companies say the new program can reduce unnecessary specialist visits, lower reliance on episodic care, and promote earlier intervention. For patients, this translates into faster access, personalized care plans, and fewer handoffs between disconnected providers.

The hybrid MSK program has already launched in a limited rollout across select Marathon Health centers. If early results demonstrate improved outcomes and cost savings, the companies plan to expand the offering across Marathon’s network of more than 630 health centers, serving more than 3 million covered members, beginning in 2026.

References

1. Marathon Health and Medbridge partner to launch innovative virtual MSK program integrated into advanced primary care. News release. Medbridge. September 25, 2025. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://www.medbridge.com/blog/marathon-health-and-medbridge-partner-to-launch-innovative-virtual-msk-program-integrated-into-advanced-primary-care
2. From conference calls to construction sites: how musculoskeletal conditions impact workforce health. Kaiser Permanente. August 19, 2024. Accessed September 25, 2025. https://business.kaiserpermanente.org/healthy-employees/care-conditions/musculoskeletal-conditions