Diabetes is a very expensive health problem for employees, people with diabetes, and ultimately everyone. The American Diabetes Association reports in the United States we have 17.5 million people with diabetes. The total estimated cost of diabetes in 2007 was $174 billion, with $116 billion being medical spending and $58 billion coming from reduced productivity at work. (Source: Diabetes Care March 2008) Ultimately diabetes increases costs for everyone due to higher insurance premiums.How can employers help reduce cost from diabetes? Until we have a cure there are two ways to decrease cost. One is to screen for diabetes at the workplace to catch diabetes in the early stages when it is easier and less costly to manage. The second strategy is to help employees with diabetes get better control of their diabetes to reduce the chance of costly complications.To explain further these two strategies, we need to understand where the highest costs of diabetes occur. The average cost for a diabetes hospital stay is $1853 per day. Compare that to a doctor visit for diabetes at $132. Which one is more cost effective? Regular doctor visits every 3-6 months are recommended for achieving […]
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