Insurer diabetes program engages consumers, lowers costs

Anthem Blue Cross recently launched a year-long diabetes prevention program to educate, treat and support its qualified California members who are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP), led by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is a national initiative that partners public and private organizations in order to reduce the growing number of people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. According to the American Diabetes Association, prediabetes is a condition in which blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not yet high enough to be diagnosed as diabetes.

Anthem Blue Cross is now working with Solera Health, a CDC National DPP integrator, to offer healthy lifestyle coaching and weekly classes to teach their members the skills needed to decrease their risks for the development of type 2 diabetes. Members will be taught the skills needed to lose weight, become more physically active and manage stress as part of their daily life.

Schmidt

“In its role as the DPP integrator, Solera connects patients to a diverse national network of non-clinical diabetes prevention program providers as a high-access, low-cost provider network,” said Solera Health’s CEO, Brenda Schmidt.

Through this collaboration, Anthem Blue Cross members will have access to Solera’s network of community groups as well as national and digital programs. Solera has also launched solera4me.com, a web site that enables members to complete a risk assessment to determine whether they qualify for the program, match with a program provider based on their preferences, and confirm their plan eligibility.

Qualified California members will have access to a mix of traditional and non-traditional providers for chronic disease prevention, including CDC-recognized organizations such as Black Women for Wellness, the Los Angeles Diabetes Alliance, Valley Jewish Community Center, and many other local programs. Solera has also partnered with national organizations like Jenny Craig to provide the DPP across the state.

In addition to community and national programs, Anthem Blue Cross members will also have access to a wide range of digital providers such as HealthSlate, Retrofit, and Blue Mesa Health. Digital programs will allow patients who do not wish to partake in in-person meetings to still have the ability to engage in their own health.   

“For healthcare providers and executives, being able to offer patients choice and connect members with the ‘best fit’ chronic disease prevention programs and services drives increased consumer participation while lowering associated costs,” said Schmidt.

The DPP is covered in full as a preventive care benefit for qualified members enrolled in Affordable Care Act (ACA)-compliant plans. Non-ACA compliant plans, such as grandfathered individual plans that were purchased on or before March 23, 2010, may cover preventative care with a member’s copay.