Kit helps members manage their type 2 diabetes with Level2

About 1 in 8 Americans has diabetes and about 90% to 95% of them have type 2 diabetes.¹ It’s a chronic condition that happens when you have persistently high blood sugar. However, type 2 diabetes doesn’t have to be permanent. Through healthy lifestyle changes — and sometimes with the help of medication — a person may decrease complications and live a long and fulfilling life.²

That’s where UnitedHealthcare’s Level2 program comes in. Level2 is designed to help members improve their type 2 diabetes using a combination of self-care tools, coaching and clinical care.

At the center of that work is Kit, a Level2 Implementation Manager who partners with employers to ensure eligible employees understand and enroll in the program. Participants receive a continuous glucose monitor (CGM), insights and guidance from the Level2 mobile app, and personalized support from a care team of doctors, nurses, coaches and registered dietitians. The CGM provides a personalized baseline by tracking minute-by-minute glucose levels to understand an individual's blood sugar patterns. The care team then helps encourage healthier lifestyle decisions, from food choices to exercising, managing stress and understanding sleeping patterns.

One-in-four health care dollars in the United States is spent on diabetes care.³ For employers, Level2 aims to reduce the total cost of care for diabetes management and support employees’ health. When UnitedHealthcare members participate in Level2 and make small, consistent changes, they not only can manage their type 2 diabetes but also may improve their health and lifestyle. Kit sees the results through stories from members who have managed their weight and become more active, reduced medications, get better sleep and have less stress.

In a similar way, Kit recently made small changes to her own life to support her health and mental wellness. Riding hunter-jumper horses is her therapy and helps her stay active.

“When I started riding horses again, that allowed me to start making some changes in my life that were really beneficial to me. And I would relate that to our members at UnitedHealthcare. When they learn how to improve their type 2 diabetes, it allows them to start living life again. It allows them to get out there and be active. I'm so thankful to work for a company that allows us to really make a difference in members' lives.”