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Member, Beacon International Group, Ltd.
In response to employer demand that health insurers improve diabetes care management, health plans are adopting benefit design approaches that encourage patients to take better care of this condition, according to a report released Wednesday.
In addition, the report, sponsored by the National Business Coalition on Health, found that health plans are embracing health promotion services.
To promote changes in behavior to reduce diabetes risk among plan participants, 54% of health plans offer rewards to patients for completing a health risk appraisal, 29% offer rewards for participating in health coaching, 57% offer a reward for participation in a disease management program, 27% waive copayments for some pharmacy services and equipment and 17% waive office visit fees for ongoing treatment.
In fully insured programs, 77% of health plans offer health promotion and wellness programs, 81% offer health risk assessments and 62% offer smoking cessation products.
The availability of health promotion products was slightly lower in self-insured programs. For example, health risk assessments are bundled in the standard administrative services-only fee in 57% of self-insured plans; health promotion and wellness in 54% of plans; worksite wellness programs in 18% of plans; and smoking cessation support in 35% of self-insured plans.
The report was derived from data collected as part of NBCH's eValue8, a tool used by employers and coalitions to measure and compare health plans. In 2008, more than 150 health maintenance organization and preferred provider organization plans responded to the eValue8 tool.
The report can be accessed at: www.nbch.org/documents/2008diabetescareperformance.pdf.