Case study: How La Clínica & Bento Health drove a 2.25% drop in HbA1c
Starting in 2025, we began working with La Clínica patients in Oakland, California to see what happens when you combine healthy food and care navigation through the Bento Health program. The results have been amazing.
The highest-risk members saw the biggest gains
Nearly half of pilot members (47.6%) were managing type 2 diabetes and hypertension together.
Dual-condition members: -1.34% HbA1c and -4.85 mmHg systolic blood pressure on average
Extreme-risk members (starting HbA1c ≥10%, SBP ≥145 mmHg): -2.25% HbA1c and -9.0 mmHg SBP
Class III obesity: women lost 9.5 lbs with a 1.68% A1c drop; men lost 8.2 lbs with a 1.55% A1c drop
Members who stay
Traditional programs lose members before results can show up. Bento Health uses fresh, member-chosen groceries to build trust and keep people engaged.
Up to 93.3% six-month retention
Retention ran between 83.7% and 93.3% across pilot waves.
96% engaged with a care navigator
80% completed both lab testing and primary care visits at 3 and 6 months
Clinical velocity in six months, not six years
Patients showed significant biomarker declines in just six months, especially in the comorbid populations that are hardest to engage and most expensive to manage.
-2.25% HbA1c and -9 mmHg systolic BP
In six months for members with both type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
-49.6 mg/dL triglycerides
Across all 250 members, 38% reached a normal range.
Nearly 1 in 5 members brought blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, and weight into a healthy range.
Food plus care navigation multiplies results
Food alone didn’t drive these outcomes. Pairing it with Care Navigation did.
3x the blood sugar impact
Members with intensive navigation (more than 6 hours) cut A1c by 1.88%. Members with low navigation (under 2 hours) cut it by 0.55%.
2x the weight loss
Obese members with the most navigation lost twice the cohort average.
Want to learn more? Click below for the full white paper.
Real results
1.3%
average A1c reduction in 6 months across all participants in our clinical trial*
2.25%
A1c reduction in 6 months in comorbid patients with diabetes and hypertension*
(with 9.0 mmHg SBP drop as well)
22%
decrease in triglycerides in 6 months across all participants in our clinical trial*
3x
% drop in A1c with those who had the most interaction with care navigation versus the least
Want to see results like this for your patient population?
*Pilot program with La Clinica in 2025. n=250. Click here to see more detail.
What La Clínica patients say:
The Bento Health difference
We earn trust
Frictionless: no apps to download, no hoops
We meet members’ basic needs, which builds trust
Over 600 5-star Google Reviews
Dignity-focused customer experience
Best-in-class customer support
We foster engagement
86% of members engage weekly, so Bento Health becomes a familiar name and a resource members can rely on
Our Care Navigators work 1-on-1 with members to incite the Next Best Step, then follow up to support and remind
Want to engage your most at-risk patients?
Let us model how closing care gaps with your most vulnerable patients can lower ED and IP utilzation, increase your Star and HEDIS ratings, and save you money.