GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Diabetes Association estimates that the United States spends more than $245 billion1 a year on diabetes, including the medical costs for treatment as well as losses attributed to workforce productivity.
Priority Health is working with local employers to assist in managing the health of their workforce, while controlling health care costs. The result is PriorityCares: Diabetes prevention and management (DPM), a product aimed to help employers improve the health of employees diagnosed with prediabetes or diabetes.
“On average, those with diabetes experience 2.3 times more in medical costs than those employees without diabetes1,” said Marti Lolli, senior vice president, commercial markets for Priority Health. “We’re focusing on a three pronged approach with PriorityCares: incentives, personalized nurse support and technology. We’re confident this product will support employers in their effort to improve the health of their workforce while tackling the health care costs impacting their bottom-line.”
The DPM product is participation and outcomes based, providing financial rewards of up to $320, to those who are engaged in their personal health care plan. Once enrolled, the Priority Health care management team works with the member and their doctor to develop a personalized plan, and connects members to community-based resources, including certified diabetes education programs. Members have the opportunity to earn money by completing an annual online assessment, maintaining healthy weight and blood pressure, being active and visiting their doctor.
Additionally, Priority Health members* receive access to the nationally acclaimed, Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP). Priority Health is the only health plan in the state to offer this complementary course as a preventive benefit. This program is proven to reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by nearly 60 percent.
About Priority Health:
Priority Health is an award-winning, Michigan-based non-profit health plan nationally recognized for improving the health and lives of the people it serves. It continues to lead the industry in engaging members in their health, delivering effective health and disease management programs and working with physicians to improve health care outcomes and performance. Priority Health is one of only four health plan nationwide offering wellness programs accredited by the National Committee for Quality Assurance. The State of Michigan named the Priority Health HMO the benchmark plan for all individual and group HMO plans to model.
Priority Health offers a broad portfolio of health benefit options for employer groups and individuals, including Medicare and Medicaid plans. Its network of health care providers features 95 percent of practicing physicians available in Michigan and more than 900,000 health care providers nationwide.
1 American Diabetes Association: http://www.diabetes.org/advocacy/news-events/cost-of-diabetes.html
*including group employer, MyPriority and Medicare members
