About 10% of the U.S. population has diabetes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and 1 in 5 don’t even know they have the disease, which often leads to complications and comorbidities. For self-insured employers, the prevalence of diabetes can translate into significant medical expenses, as well as lost productivity by employees who are trying to manage the condition for themselves or their loved ones.

Rather than leaving employees alone to manage a condition like diabetes, employers can drive better outcomes by providing specialized, disease-specific care as a health benefit. With access to a dedicated, experienced support team, employees can more easily understand their diagnosis and seek treatment. As a result, employees are more likely to get the help and care they need to manage their illness and reduce associated healthcare costs.

Care Management Makes a Difference

A serious illness such as diabetes can be life-altering, but research shows that having a designated person to coordinate medical care can lead to significantly improved outcomes. For example, a Harvard study showed that patients who had a care coordinator are significantly less likely to be sent for duplicate tests or procedures, and significantly more likely to have discussions about their cost of care with primary medical providers.

Most third-party administrators outsource specialized care management to other vendors, but integrating that service into your health plan administration ensures that the care management perspective is included in decisions about cost, providers and technology resources.

How Care Management Work

When a health plan offers specialized diabetes care for its members with Narus Health, a Lucent Health Company, an employee who is diagnosed with diabetes or pre-diabetes can immediately connect with a care coordinator who can help assuage fears and provide actionable advice and information. The care coordinator can walk step-by-step with the employee to manage the disease, recommend and locate technology and devices, provide nutrition and exercise guidance, and even access free or reduced-cost equipment and care.

Through education and support, diabetes care managers can help patients control their blood glucose levels, prevent complications or related healthcare issues, and locate resources needed to manage and treat the condition.

Lucent Health’s diabetes care management platform, powered by Narus Health, a Lucent Health Company, provides members with diabetes access to their care team by phone and through secure text messaging. The online platform offers a simple and convenient way for members to log their symptoms and glucose levels, manage prescriptions, find education materials related to diabetes, share care plans and medical documents, and interact with caregivers and members of the care team.

Learn more about Lucent Health’s care management program and how it can cut costs for self-insured companies while boosting health outcomes for plan members. Download your copy of our e-book, The Right Care Starts With Being There: Improve Health Outcomes for Employees with Diabetes today.