Health Insurance Company Starts Fight Against Diabetes

UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation’s largest health
insurance companies, has decided to partner with Walgreens and YMCA to fight Type
2 Diabetes. UnitedHealth will reimburse YMCA and Walgreens for providing
additional help and services to insured patients in efforts to prevent and
control diabetes.

According to The Wall Street Journal,
the program will be broken into two parts. The prevention part of the program
will take UnitedHealth claims data and demographic information to figure out
what people are at greater risk for developing diabetes. People at risk will be
invited to 16-session exercise and nutrition class at a YMCA that will be covered
by the insurer. Once the class is over, the participants will have monthly
follow-ups.

To help control diabetes among patients, Walgreens
will be administering 45-minute assessments and health-care coaching sessions
that will tackle medical and lifestyle management.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention found
that lifestyle intervention can reduce diabetes from developing by 58 percent
within 3 years in their long-term study, Diabetes Prevention Program. The
results are even greater, 71 percent, for adults that are 60 and older.

Diabetes cost Americans and insurance companies
over $200 billion a year and the Type 2 diabetes epidemic has continued to grow
with the rise of obesity. Providing preventive services could cut costs for
insurers and employers. Demand from employers has grown in the past few years for
preventive services provided by insurance companies and UnitedHealth has
decided to respond.

The program will start in seven cities with the
hopes of nationwide expansion. It will be free to participants that are
enrolled in UnitedHealth group
health insurance plans.

The role of insurance companies will change with
the passed health care legislation and providing preventive services will
eventually become free for every consumer. UnitedHealth is doing a great job at
leading the way to fight Type 2 Diabetes.

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