Talking with Payers, Providers and Patients About Diabetes:
An AAPPO Toolkit for PPOs

Tab 4: What Payers Can Do: Worksite Prevention

Diabetes can be delayed or prevented if people at risk can be identified and they change their behaviors to reduce risk. Many employers are finding that worksite programs are an effective way of reaching covered employees with health information and messages about behavioral change. Through worksite assessment, employees can be referred into more intensive management programs where needed. In addition to direct health programs, employers can create a healthier work place by offering healthy food choices, developing a smoking cessation support program, building in exercise options, and offering incentives for participation in worksite programs. Lifestyle improvements fostered in the workplace – such as exercising, eating a healthy diet and not smoking are preventive strategies for diabetes and other chronic diseases such as heart disease.

PPO partners can offer expert guidance and work with payers and employers to help them identify a prevention strategy or implement a worksite program that fits the customers needs and complements health benefits offered for diabetes.

Resources for payers:

Diabetes At Work http://www.diabetesatwork.org/; this site offers step by step information for assessing the worksite and implementing a worksite program.

Also see:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Healthier Worksite Initiative
http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/hwi/index.htm  

Tab 11 includes National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) information designed to help patients adopt preventive health behaviors, “Your Game Plan For Preventing Diabetes.” NDEP also offers information on effectiveness of prevention strategies and a slide presentation “The Science of Prevention,” http://ndep.nih.gov/resources/presentations/diabetesprevention/
slide01.htm

Points to Make with Payers (Employers, Insurers, Plans):

• Risk factors for diabetes include: age, being overweight, having a family history, certain racial and ethnic backgrounds, history of diabetes during pregnancy, inactivity, high blood pressure, and smoking and alcohol use. Some of these risks can be controlled or reduced, or help to identify patients for early diagnosis.

• Employers can choose to develop worksite programs themselves, or to partner with vendors specializing in wellness and prevention. The goal is to reduce risk factors through lifestyle change where possible; many vendors specialize in motivational strategies, behavior change, and using incentives to improve results. PPOs can provide expertise in program design and offer coordinated programs to manage patients diagnosed with diabetes.

• Worksite programs complement screening, clinical prevention, and other wellness strategies. Worksite programs should be aligned with diabetes health benefits offered to employers. Alignment of this spectrum of programs shows an employer/payer’s top down commitment to prevention and management of diabetes.