Help Your Team Members Invest in Their Health Like a 401(k) Plan, the National Diabetes Prevention Program helps team members take small steps that result in a big payoff — an active and healthy future!

The epidemic you can stop Type 2 diabetes is a common health condition that many of your team members don’t know about. In fact, it has become a national epidemic, affecting 1 out of every 10 people.1 Roughly one-third of your workforce is at risk.1 Fortunately, with screening and intervention, the risk factors CAN be detected and reversed.

One-third of your team may already have prediabetes Prediabetes is a precursor to type 2 diabetes. It occurs when blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough yet to be diagnosed as type 2 diabetes.1

The iceberg lurking beneath the surface Think of prediabetes as the seemingly “normal” condition. It quietly lurks below the surface — and then suddenly becomes apparent. Fortunately, we can screen for prediabetes and take steps to help prevent type 2 diabetes from developing.

Type 2 diabetes … Affects the way the body processes glucose. Increases medical costs, complications and death rates.1

What type 2 diabetes can do to your team

Why should businesses take action? Type 2 diabetes contributes to rising medical costs. Employees with diabetes may miss more work and have lower productivity. {citation} As an employer, you are in a unique position to promote awareness and change. For these reasons and more, health IS a business imperative. This is your chance to help your team take small steps that can result in a big payoff — an active and healthy future!

The solution is here: The National Diabetes Prevention Program An evidence-based lifestyle change program with CDC-recognition so it is standardized and effective. Can be offered through your workplace wellness program or as a covered benefit of your medical plan. Confidential screening for your team to identify at-risk employees. Involves a one-year intervention to address prediabetes, and delay or prevent type 2 diabetes from developing. Sessions are offered in a variety of formats: onsite, off-site or online. Sessions teach employees strategies in healthy eating, weight loss, stress management, physical activity and more — behaviors that prevent type 2 diabetes and enhance overall health.

Why the National DPP? The program structure is already developed — you don’t have to reinvent the wheel in order to offer it. It is evidence-based and many businesses offer the program to employees across the U.S. It can complement existing wellness offerings and initiatives. There are CDC-recognized DPP program providers, vendors, and coaches throughout the U.S. It works!

Employers can promote better health and save money A diabetes prevention lifestyle change program costs an average of $450 per participant, a fraction of the amount employers can expect to pay if an employee develops type 2 diabetes. Consider the net savings by avoiding medical spend associated with newly diagnosed type 2 diabetes4: An employer with 250 employees could save up to $8,759 over three years. An employer with 1,000 employees could save up to $35,037 over three years. An employer with 2,600 employees could save up to $91,096 over three years. To see how much your company could save by offering an evidence based diabetes prevention program, use the AMA’s calculator at ama-roi-calculator.appspot.com/

Employers can promote better health and save money The Diabetes Prevention Impact Toolkit lets employers and insurers customize estimates of: Program costs Diabetes-related medical costs Potential return on investment (ROI) To see how much your company can save by offering an evidence-based diabetes prevention program, use the CDC Diabetes Prevention Impact Toolkit https://nccd.cdc.gov/Toolkit/DiabetesImpact.

How employees qualify for the program As the employer, you can design your program to target populations at the most risk. Most employers offer a quick risk assessment as an easy initial screening tool, then offer a blood test for those identified as high risk by the survey. For a good example, see the risk screener at: https://doihaveprediabetes.org/prediabetes-risk-test.html Per CDC program guidelines, an individual qualifies for the National DPP if he or she has not had a diagnosis of diabetes, and meets these criteria: Is 18 years old or older Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥24 (≥22 Asian) Blood test result in the prediabetes range Is 18 years old or older Body Mass Index (BMI) of ≥24 (≥22 Asian) History of gestational diabetes Individuals may also qualify based on a high score on a prediabetes risk test.

How employers administer the program There are several ways to design the program for your workplace: Select how to cover the cost — either as a covered medical benefit or as a feature of your workplace wellness. Identify the best approach to implement — training internal staff or using a CDC-recognized program provider Choose how to offer the program — offsite, onsite or virtual (or a combo thereof). Name and promote the program in a way that appeals to your workforce. Include optional incentives and plan after-program support.

Health is a business imperative Make a difference to your team, their families and your community. Next steps: Use the tool, “Assessing Prediabetes Risk for Employers,” to estimate the prevalence of prediabetes in your organization. Use the online calculator to determine potential savings. Present the white paper and senior leadership slides to make a business case. Contact your insurer to discuss making the National DPP a covered benefit. Visit the CDC to identify program options in your area. Help your employees invest in their health today, so it’s there for them tomorrow!

Sources Diabetes Latest. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. Features. https://www.cdc.gov/features/diabetesfactsheet/. Published date. Updated June 17, 2014. Accessed October 27, 2016. American Diabetes Association. Economic costs of diabetes in the U.S. in 2012. Diabetes Care. 2013;36(4):1033-46. http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/diacare/36/4/1033.full.pdf Accessed October 27, 2016. Diabetes Prevention Program Research Group. Reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes with lifestyle intervention or metformin. N Engl J Med. 2002;346(6):393-403. American Medical Association. AMA Diabetes Prevention Cost Savings Calculator. 2015. https://ama-roi-calculator.appspot.com. Accessed June 1, 2017. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CDC Diabetes Prevention Impact Toolkit. 2017. https://nccd.cdc.gov/Toolkit/DiabetesImpact/Employer. Accessed July 1, 2017. This work was supported by the Grant or Cooperative Agreement Number DP004793-05, funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Department of Health and Human Services.