Most people who qualify for Medicare’s diabetes prevention benefit never use it. That gap, not a shortage of technology, is the real problem Samsung and Lark Health say they want to close.
Samsung Electronics America has announced a collaboration with Lark Health to offer AI-powered prevention and chronic-care support to adults aged 65 and older through the Samsung Health app. The first piece is Lark’s Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP), available to eligible users. Samsung describes it as the first phase of a broader rollout. The announcement was short on detail about what comes next, so the later phases remain to be seen.
Why the MDPP matters
The MDPP is a Medicare benefit built on the CDC-recognized lifestyle change model. It targets people with prediabetes and centers on modest weight loss, healthier eating, and more physical activity. The evidence behind that approach is strong. The original Diabetes Prevention Program trial found that lifestyle intervention cut progression to type 2 diabetes by 58 percent overall, and by even more in participants over 60.
But uptake has been poor. In-person classes are hard to reach for people with limited mobility, no transport, or rural addresses. Digital delivery is one of the few realistic ways to widen access, and Lark is among the companies approved to offer it.
What Samsung adds
Lark brings the coaching engine. Samsung brings distribution. Samsung Health already sits on millions of Galaxy phones and watches, which means eligible users may find the program where they already track steps, sleep, and heart rate, rather than hunting for a separate app.
That matters because older adults are often assumed to be reluctant users of health technology. Wearable adoption among people over 65 has grown steadily, though, and the barrier is often friction, not willingness. Fewer downloads and logins can make a difference.
Questions clinicians will ask
Convenience is not the same as outcomes. Several points deserve scrutiny as the program expands:
- How many enrolled users complete the full MDPP curriculum, and how many reach the 5 percent weight loss goal?
- How does AI coaching perform against human-led sessions in this age group?
- How will data from Samsung devices be shared with, or kept from, care teams and third parties?
- How will the later phases handle chronic conditions beyond prediabetes?
Completion and weight loss data will be the real test. Digital diabetes prevention programs have shown mixed engagement over time, and results from early adopters do not always carry over to a broader Medicare population.
The bigger picture
This is part of a wider move by consumer electronics companies into regulated, reimbursable care. A device maker partnering with a clinical-grade program, paid for through an established Medicare benefit, is a more credible model than a wellness feature with no payer behind it. It gives the business a path to sustain itself and gives patients a service with defined standards.
For clinicians, the practical takeaway is simple. If you have patients with prediabetes who own a Galaxy device, this is worth knowing about. For entrepreneurs, the lesson is that distribution partnerships with major platforms may matter as much as the clinical product itself. Whether this one improves outcomes will depend on who actually finishes the program.