4 tips to help employees manage type 2 diabetes

Investing in strategies designed to help employees manage type 2 diabetes can pay off.

Nov. 6, 2023

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About 1 in 10 Americans live with diabetes across the U.S., with some states faring worse than others.¹ For instance, Kentucky, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi and West Virginia have some of the highest rates of diabetes diagnoses.² Millions more have prediabetes,³ putting them at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

“For people with type 2 diabetes, the disease can dramatically affect how people feel each day and how they show up for their family and employer,” says Dr. Donna O’Shea, chief medical officer of population health for UnitedHealthcare. “Not only that, type 2 diabetes is associated with a higher risk of various health issues, including blindness, stroke or heart attack.”

In addition to impacting quality of life, type 2 diabetes can contribute to higher health care costs for employees and employers. One claims analysis showed up to 19% of a self-insured employer’s health care costs⁴ are spent on employees with type 2 diabetes. Employers that help and encourage their employees to better manage their diabetes may see better health outcomes, as well as lower costs and increased productivity.⁵

That’s why health plans like Level2® from UnitedHealthcare can be an attractive option for employers.

Introducing Level2®

Video transcript

Light music plays in the background. UHC U-mark fades to ribbon on the screen.

An older man meets with his doctor during a consultation.

ON-SCREEN TEXT OVER B-ROLL: Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, accessed 2023, https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/type2.html#:~:text=More%20than%2037%20million%20Americans,adults%20are%20also%20developing%20it

NARRATOR: For the more than 30 million Americans with type 2 diabetes, this condition can diminish quality of life and contribute to a host of health issues

ON-SCREEN TEXT

(float-up effect): $327B

per year in health care costs

American Diabetes Association, accessed 2023,

https://www.diabetes.org/resources/statistics/cost-diabetes

UHC wallet illustration accompanies on-screen text.

NARRATOR: while resulting in 327 billion dollars per year in health care costs. UnitedHealthcare has an answer.

Level2 logo on a white background.

NARRATOR: Level2® is an integrated solution

Level2 devices appear – first a generic continuous glucose monitor and then a person interacts with an activity tracker worn on the wrist.

NARRATOR: that combines wearable technology with customized clinical support to help improve the health of people living with type 2 diabetes,

A woman takes a walk outside and checks activity tracker.

NARRATOR: at the same time helping lower out-of-pocket expenses for members and bend the cost curve for employers.

A person opens the Level2 app on a smartphone and interacts with the Daily Goals section of the app. An older woman video calls with a doctor.

NARRATOR: Level2 is designed to provide members with insights about their condition, based on real-time data from a continuous glucose monitor and an activity tracker, plus support and clinical care from a team that specializes in treating type 2 diabetes.

An older man prepares lunch in the kitchen and cuts up vegetables. A woman takes a walk outside. A sleeping woman wakes up in the morning.

NARRATOR: The goal is to encourage people to make healthier lifestyle decisions, such as food choices, daily activity levels and sleep patterns,

A father and young daughter walk in the woods. A person scrolls through the Level2 app.

NARRATOR: helping employees with type 2 diabetes improve their health, while guaranteeing employers savings on their total medical expenses.

White background with UHC ribbon. A bubble on the left shows a couple walking in the woods. A smartphone with Level2 app on the right.

ON-SCREEN TEXT OVER B-ROLL: Guaranteed savings may vary by employer and are based on comparisons to projected claims

NARRATOR: Level2 is included, at no additional charge, as part of eligible fully insured and self-funded employer-sponsored plans.

ON-SCREEN TEXT

(float-up effect): $1,000+

in annual out-of-pocket savings

Level2 analysis of 2021 and 2022 Level2 Health Plan subscribers living with type 2 diabetes compared to individuals living with type 2 diabetes within the same employer groups who did not select the Level2 Health Plan

UHC piggy bank 1 illustration accompanies on-screen text.

NARRATOR: For people who choose the Level2 Health Plan, they save more than one thousand dollars per year on total out-of-pocket health care costs compared to individuals who choose traditional health plans,

ON-SCREEN TEXT

(float-up effect): $0 copays

$0 deductibles and coinsurance

$0 diabetes medications and supplies

UHC $0 cost, ID card and medication bottle icons appear one by one with the on-screen text.

NARRATOR: including 100% coverage on copays, deductibles and diabetes medications and supplies. Through Level2,

A father and young daughter prepare a meal at a campsite.

NARRATOR: UnitedHealthcare is delivering on our mission of using technology to help people live healthier lives and make the health system work better for everyone.

ON-SCREEN TEXT: Contact your UnitedHealthcare representative or

go to www.mylevel2.com for more information

UHC U-mark appears along with UHC stacked wordmark. Music fades out.

Grounded in metabolic and behavioral science, Level2 is a condition-specific health plan that equips eligible participants with empowering tools that include a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and activity, plus support and clinical care to help encourage healthier lifestyle decisions, such as food choices, exercise and sleep patterns. For employers with eligible self-funded health plans, Level2 offers guaranteed total cost of care savings (compared to that year’s projected claims), while employees may qualify for $0 cost-share for their diabetes care by engaging with the solution.

Learn more about the impact Level2 can have for employers

“Type 2 diabetes is largely preventable. It can also be more effectively managed through a combination of consistent lifestyle changes, helping achieve better health and avoiding costly complications. That can be good news for workers and their employers.”

— Dr. Donna O’Shea, Chief Medical Officer, Population Health, UnitedHealthcare

4 steps employers can take to help prevent or more effectively manage type 2 diabetes among their workforce

1. Understand the impact of diabetes within an employer’s group population

Diabetes can have a major impact on an employee’s quality of life and risk for other health issues, but it also has an outsize effect on an employer’s group population in terms of cost and productivity. In fact, 1 out of every 4 health care dollars are spent on people living with type 2 diabetes.⁶ Plus, the total cost of medical care and lost productivity amounts to $327B — a number that is expected to grow to $622B by 2030.⁶

2. Invest in diabetes-specific programs or plan designs

Employers can support their employees living with type 2 diabetes by offering plans or programs like the Level2 Health Plan or the Level2 Specialty Care program. CGMs, which are offered at no additional cost through the Level2 Specialty Care program for Level2 Health Plan members, can give employees real-time insight into how diet, movement, stress and other factors may elevate their glucose (sugar) levels. This real-time information can help employees with type 2 diabetes, and their health care team, better track glucose levels and help prevent spikes.

3. Develop tailored communications and engagement plans around diabetes management

Employers can further support their employees by encouraging them to take a more active role in their health. Developing tailored communications and engagement plans, which include reminders about making smart food choices, staying active and keeping consistent with any monitoring and medicine, is one way they can keep diabetes management top of mind among employees. Learn more on uhc.com.

4. Offer health and well-being programs that promote healthier lifestyles

Since physical activity is critical for people with type 2 diabetes,⁷employers may want to offer health and well-being programs that promote activity. With UnitedHealthcare Rewards, for instance, employees in eligible plans can earn up to $1,000 in rewards for different activities, such as walking 5,000 steps a day. With diabetes, even a 15-minute walk after a meal may help lower blood glucose spikes as the glucose moves from the blood to muscle cells to burn as energy.⁸

For more information, contact your UnitedHealthcare representative.

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Footnotes

Type 2 Diabetes. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/type2.html. Last reviewed: April 18, 2023.
Diabetes in United States. America’s Health Rankings. Available: https://www.americashealthrankings.org/explore/measures/diabetes.
Prediabetes: Your Chance to Prevent Type 2 Diabetes. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/prediabetes.html.
UHC NA book of business for October 1, 2021 – September 30, 2022 and paid through December 31, 2022. Subscribers and spouses continuously enrolled for 24 months from 10/20-9/22. Type 2 diabetes using medical claims and includes any members who had a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes (ICD-10’s starting with E11*) during the period 10/20-9/22.
Level2: For Employers. Available: https://mylevel2.com/for-employers/.
Employers and Worksites. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2022. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/professional-info/employers.html
Get Active! Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/active.html.
Blood Glucose and Exercise. American Diabetes Association. Available: https://diabetes.org/health-wellness/fitness/blood-glucose-and-exercise.

Disclaimers

UnitedHealthcare Rewards is a voluntary program. The information provided under this program is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to be nor should be construed as medical advice. You should consult an appropriate health care professional before beginning any exercise program and/or to determine what may be right for you. Receiving an activity tracker, certain credits and/or rewards and/or purchasing an activity tracker with earnings may have tax implications. You should consult with an appropriate tax professional to determine if you have any tax obligations under this program, as applicable. If any fraudulent activity is detected (e.g., misrepresented physical activity), you may be suspended and/or terminated from the program. If you are unable to meet a standard related to health factor to receive a reward under this program, you might qualify for an opportunity to receive the reward by different means. You may call us toll-free at 1-866-230-2505 or at the number on your health plan ID card, and we will work with you (and, if necessary, your doctor) to find another way for you to earn the same reward. Rewards may be limited due to incentive limits under applicable law. Components subject to change. This program is not available for fully insured members in Hawaii, Vermont and Puerto Rico nor available to level funded members in District of Columbia, Hawaii, Vermont and Puerto Rico.

Insurance coverage provided by or through UnitedHealthcare Insurance Company or its affiliates. Administrative services provided by United HealthCare Services, Inc. or their affiliates.