Hinge Health, which just went public last month, launched a referral network of in-person providers to complement its virtual physical therapy platform.
The curated provider network for musculoskeletal (MSK) care, called HingeSelect, includes imaging centers and brick-and-mortar physical therapy providers to help bridge the gap between in-person and digital care. The aim is to offer a more comprehensive end-to-end MSK care model, executives said.
Hinge Health's technology and in-house orthopedic physicians triage and direct downstream care. When in-person care, such as imaging or injections, is required, members are connected to pre-vetted providers at up to 50% below PPO rates.
"Our vision is to harness technology to automate and scale care delivery. While we’ve made significant progress with our current digital platform, many critical services, such as surgery, imaging, and injections, still require in-person visits. To offer members an integrated, clinically complete experience, we’re building a high-quality network of in-person providers across physical therapy, imaging, and orthopedics. Now, members can turn to Hinge Health for all their MSK needs, not just digital exercise therapy,” Jim Pursley, president of Hinge Health, told Fierce Healthcare.
Members will have a more unified care experience with both digital and in-person services available. When needed, Hinge Health's in-house orthopedic specialists are available in as little as 48 hours to diagnose and manage care comprehensively, the company said. When in-person care is required, members can schedule in-person appointments directly from the Hinge Health app with visit records shared back with its care team.
Employers and health plans benefit from stronger adherence to evidence-based care and lower rates for in-person visits, Pursley said. Providers will receive high-quality, motivated patient referrals and less administrative burden, like pre-authorizations, he noted.
HingeSelect will launch with select innovation partners in the second half of 2025, executives said.
During this phase, orthopedic specialist visits will be available nationwide and in-person providers will serve 10 major metro areas across Alabama, California, Georgia, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, and Texas. By 2026, Hinge Health will extend HingeSelect as an option for all employers, with in-person coverage across more than 100 major metros nationwide.
"Our goal isn’t to build a dense network everywhere, but to build a strategic local network that prioritizes quality and lowers costs, while ensuring easy and convenient access for our members across the U.S. We have nearly 15,000 providers across 5,000 care sites signed or in contracting," Pursley said.
MSK conditions continue to rank as a top-two spend category for most employers. Orthopedic appointment wait times average 20 days, and adherence to evidence-based care can vary significantly among providers. Even when care is appropriate, inflated unit costs continue to drive up expenses for employers and members alike.
HingeSelect reduces MSK costs by promoting appropriate utilization and avoiding unnecessary procedures and also by lowering unit costs, according to Pursley.
"We directly contract with providers who demonstrate superior outcomes for physical therapy, imaging and outpatient orthopedic care. Services are offered at rates up to 50% below traditional PPO rates, translating to major savings for employers and zero out-of-pocket costs for most members provided they’ve reached their health plan deductibles," he said.
Hinge Health, founded in 2014, leverages software to largely automate care for joint and muscle health. Its virtual care platform can address a range of MSK care—from acute injury to chronic pain to postsurgical rehabilitation.
To address the automation of care, Hinge has developed artificial-intelligence-powered motion tracking technology, a proprietary FDA-cleared wearable device called Enso and an AI-supported care team to deliver scalable and personalized MSK care.
The company currently works with more than 2,250 enterprise customers and has client agreements with nearly half of Fortune 100 companies. The company reported 532,000 members at the end of 2024 with 20 million contracted lives.
Hinge Health booked $432 million in revenue for the 12 months ended March 31, 2025. The company's revenue grew 50% in the first quarter of 2025, jumping from $82.7 million in the first quarter of 2024 to $123.8 million, according to its S-1 filing.
Shares of Hinge Health jumped 22% above the initial public offering price in the company's New York Stock Exchange debut on May 22, bringing its market capitalization to more than $3 billion.
The company said it raised $437 million in its IPO priced at the top of its marketed range.
Virtual MSK care is a competitive field with companies like Sword Health, which just raised $40 million, Kaia Health, Vori Health, which recently raised $53 million, and IncludeHealth, which rebranded to LainaHealth. Another company, Medbridge, works with hospitals, health systems, home health agencies and physical therapy practices to support hybrid care.