About one-third of Americans will develop diabetes sometime during their life, impacting their health in ways ranging from vision damage to increased risk of heart attack or stroke to reduced life expectancy.
The sweeping harm diabetes does to America’s collective health is matched by the financial toll it takes.
The cost of diabetes to employers
The disease costs the U.S. $413 billion a year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, making it the most costly chronic condition impacting businesses and workplace health plans nationwide. That staggering figure includes $106 billion in lost productivity in the workplace – and it’s likely your business is bearing some of that cost.
Capital Blue Cross can help lessen the impact of diabetes on your business’ bottom line. The insurer offers convenient diabetes-management programs that have helped its customers lose tens of thousands of pounds, reduce their reliance on prescriptions, lower their blood sugar, and collectively save more than $20 million since 2021.
How Capital Blue Cross helps businesses manage diabetes-related expenses
Three years ago, Capital was the first Pennsylvania health insurer to offer a unique program that works to reverse the effects of type 2 diabetes. Capital also began offering a separate program that helps members reduce their risk of developing type 2 diabetes and helps those with types 1 or 2 diabetes manage their disease. These programs are available to members whose plans include them.
“Diabetes can take a huge personal and financial toll, so it’s important that Capital Blue Cross go the extra mile to find proven ways to fight it,” said Dr. Jeremy Wigginton, Capital’s Chief Medical Officer. “The positive outcomes of our diabetes programs reflect Capital’s commitment to combat, and preferably prevent, this chronic disease as effectively and affordably as possible.”
Outcomes of Capital’s employee diabetes prevention and management programs
Capital members using its diabetes prevention and management programs have:
Collectively lost more than 66,000 pounds since 2021.
Averaged a roughly 46% reduction in prescription medications in their first year using the diabetes reversal strategy.
Dropped their A1c levels about one full point on average over their first year in the program. Higher A1c levels are linked to diabetes complications.
The programs already have helped Capital employer group customers save more than $20 million, and their impacted employees have seen substantial savings as well. In 2023, Capital Blue Cross' diabetes management programs helped reduce healthcare costs, saving engaged employees over $2,000 on average through diabetes reversal and nearly $1,200 through diabetes control.
Additional resources to support employee health and reduce costs
In addition to the disease-management and reversal programs, Capital offers a broad range of proven resources and support to help control diabetes and encourage healthier choices to help prevent Type 2 diabetes.
Capital Blue Cross engages high-risk members with diabetes by providing personalized care management and offers employer groups multiple programs, including diabetes prevention presentations, awareness toolkits, and Healthy Blue Rewards to encourage employee participation in wellness.
Capital also can help employers determine whether costs for prescription drugs like insulin can be better managed through integrating medical and pharmacy coverage.
If diabetes is impacting your healthcare costs, reach out to a Capital Blue Cross account representative to discuss tools and programs that might be able to help you and your employees.