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Navitus Partners with SWORD Health, Bringing Members Best-in-Class Musculoskeletal Solution

  • Sep 28, 2021
  • PBM Model

MADISON, Wis., September 28, 2021 – Navitus Health Solutions, a full pass-through pharmacy benefit manager (PBM), today announced its partnership with SWORD Health, the world’s fastest-growing virtual musculoskeletal care provider, to bring its best-in-class virtual MSK solution to Navitus’ clients and their plan members nationwide.

Musculoskeletal pain is the leading contributor to disability worldwide, with low back pain as the key driver of disability globally.1 In fact, 50% of U.S. adults live with a painful musculoskeletal condition, which costs the healthcare system approximately $237 billion per year.1,2 Besides the financial impact, musculoskeletal pain decreases employee productivity, resulting in 34% of missed workdays.3 Navitus’ partnership with SWORD Health is a major expansion of its comprehensive suite of solutions to include clinical-grade care for the most complete range of musculoskeletal issues: preventative, acute, chronic and post-operative care.

"While traditional physical therapy can be effective, it can also be costly, inconsistent and inconvenient for many plan members. At Navitus, we believe there are more advanced ways to treat musculoskeletal pain,” said Julie Olson, DNP, MS, RN, CQIA, Vice President of Clinical Innovation at Navitus. “We’ve partnered with SWORD Health because they share our commitment to innovative solutions. We’re excited to offer our clients a world-class, digital musculoskeletal therapy solution that enables members to take control of their pain management.”

Navitus’ partnership with SWORD Health will help members overcome musculoskeletal pain by:

  • Providing remote access to physical therapists who diagnose, educate and coach members to better health.
  • Using sensor-based technology to give real-time feedback that is more accurate than human eyes.
  • Treating all major points for chronic pain and post-surgical rehab so that everyone with musculoskeletal pain can get the help they need.
“Our mission is to free two billion people from physical pain, and this would not be possible without partners like Navitus,” said Virgílio Bento, Founder and CEO, SWORD Health. “Their out-of-the-box, next-generation thinking about pharmacy benefits shows that they understand the changing world of healthcare services. They are deeply invested in innovation and clinical efficacy which is the foundation of SWORD. Together, we will make the lives of members richer and more productive.”

To learn more about Navitus’ comprehensive suite of programs and services for plan sponsors and their members, visit www.navitus.com.


About Navitus
Navitus Health Solutions, LLC, owned by SSM Health and Costco Wholesale Corporation, serves as a full pass-through pharmacy benefit manager (PBM) and industry alternative to traditional models. As such, Navitus is committed to taking the unnecessary costs out of pharmacy benefits to make prescriptions more affordable for hundreds of plan sponsors (i.e. employers, health plans, unions, governments, etc.) and their 7+ million members. By combining a unique pass-through approach that returns 100% of rebates and discounts with a focus on lowest-net-cost medications and comprehensive clinical care programs, Navitus helps reduce costs and improve member health. To learn more about Navitus, call 877.571.7500 or visit www.navitus.com. Follow Navitus on Twitter and LinkedIn to stay up-to-date on all the latest pharmacy benefit news, information and expert analysis.

About SWORD Health
SWORD Health is a digital musculoskeletal (MSK) provider that’s on a mission to free two billion people from physical pain. The company’s digital therapy platform pairs expert physical therapists with medical-grade wearable technology to deliver a personalized treatment plan that is more effective, easier and less expensive than traditional physical therapy. SWORD believes in the power of people to recover at home, without resorting to imaging, surgeries or opioids.

Since launching in 2015, SWORD Health has worked with insurers, health systems and employers in the U.S, Europe and Australia to make quality physical therapy more accessible to everyone.

SWORD Health has offices in New York City, Salt Lake City, and Porto.


For media inquiries, contact Navitus@AllisonPR.com.



1 Musculoskeletal conditions. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/musculoskeletal-conditions. Published November 26, 2019.
2 Spending on disease treatment. Peterson-Kaiser Foundation Health System Tracker. https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/indicator/spending/spending-disease-treatment/. Published 2017.
3 Prevention of work-related musculoskeletal disorders. United States Department of Labor. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=4481&p_table=UNIFIED_AGENDA#:~:text=Statement%20of%20Need%3A%20OSHA%20estimates,of%20Labor%20Statistics%20(BLS)). Published 2014.

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