March 28, 2016
By Michael Jordan
Ready for 2020? Over 50 Percent of the U.S. Population Will Be Living With Diabetes
Not enough people are thinking twice about that second helping of potatoes, pasta or bread. If current trends continue, the ranks of American adults with diabetes and pre-diabetes will increase from 93.8 million this year to 135 million in 2020, consuming approximately 10 percent of healthcare spending, and ratcheting up the annual healthcare bill to nearly $500 billion.
It’s a challenge that you will have to face with your members. In this issue of the MagnaCare Labor Bulletin, we’ll provide strategies for identifying workers who are at risk for diabetes, and ways to control the staggering costs of this chronic disease.
The Looming Threat of Diabetes
Did you know that 80 percent of healthcare dollars are spent by 20 percent of the population? The reason for this “high cost for a few” is due primarily to expensive hospital visits made by those managing a chronic condition, such as diabetes.
Given the potentially crippling impact of medical and work-related absenteeism costs, reduced labor force participation and premature mortality related to diabetes, astute plan sponsors are focusing on population health management and identifying individuals at risk for diabetes.
That’s what EvaluaideSM, MagnaCare’s population health management solution, does for you. It makes it possible for plan sponsors to analyze claims, pharmacy and lab data to determine which health conditions affect their bottom line. You’ll know just how critical your diabetes challenges really are—and introduce programs and tools that help people take better care of themselves.
EvaluaideSM Works for YOU and Your Workforce
EvaluaideSM nurses work with enrolled participants to develop individualized healthcare goals and care plans. These customized care plans optimize participant involvement in managing their chronic health conditions. The program is designed to increase patient compliance with prescribed care regimens including: blood glucose testing protocols, medication compliance and diet/exercise recommendations. Additionally, it can reinforce chronic health condition-specific education through written materials and one-on-one conversations with registered nurses.
Working in collaboration with providers, Evaluaide SM nurses help manage high-risk patients by providing patient follow-up and support via phone and home visits (if required). Because diabetes and other chronic health conditions can be overwhelming for individuals to understand and control on their own, the EvaluaideSM nurse and the member’s primary care provider help support plan members in understanding and managing often complex healthcare issues.
Get ready for 2020 – and beyond. EvaluaideSM is designed to target that high-cost 20 percent of plan members, and send them down the road of improved health and well-being.
Inside Healthcare with MagnaCare President Michael Jordan
Click here to view Michael’s video on how care management teams can help to reduce the high cost of diabetes.
Sources:
ABC News; Disturbing Diabetes Forecast Linked to Obesity; http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Diabetes/cdc-predicts-dramatic-increase-diabetes/story?id=11946076
Centers for Disease Control
http://www.news-medical.net/news/20111105/More-than-half-of-all-Americans-will-have-diabetes-by-2020.aspx
American Diabetes Association; Statistics About Diabetes; http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/statistics/?loc=db-slabnav
American Diabetes Association; Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2012; http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/36/4/1033.full
