The Business Case for Preventing and Managing Chronic Disease
Posted by Medavie Blue Cross on January 22, 2024
The Business Case for Preventing and Managing Chronic Disease
Posted by Medavie Blue Cross on January 22, 2024
Note: The following article is a summary from our Insights Webinar Connecting the Dots on Chronic Disease Management: How Increasing Access to Care Can Strengthen Your Business. Our panel shared how proactive chronic care management helps employees and employers access helpful services to improve employee health and enhance business performance.
Impacting Health, Drug Benefit Plans
Preventing and managing chronic disease has never been more of a business imperative than it is today. Not only are long-term illnesses like diabetes, asthma and hypertension the leading driver of health benefit spending, they’re the number one cause of short-term and long-term disability claims in Canada.
- More than half (54%) of group plan members currently live with at least one diagnosed chronic condition. Yet, plan sponsors underestimate the percentage of members who are living with a chronic condition at 43%.*
- The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates Canada’s economy loses $122 billion in productivity alone each year due to the effects of chronic disease on Canada’s workforce. It also accounts for two-thirds of health care spending in Canada.
Impacting Health, Drug Benefit Plans
Preventing and managing chronic disease has never been more of a business imperative than it is today. Not only are long-term illnesses like diabetes, asthma and hypertension the leading driver of health benefit spending, they’re the number one cause of short-term and long-term disability claims in Canada.
- More than half (54%) of group plan members currently live with at least one diagnosed chronic condition. Yet, plan sponsors underestimate the percentage of members who are living with a chronic condition at 43%.*
- The Public Health Agency of Canada estimates Canada’s economy loses $122 billion in productivity alone each year due to the effects of chronic disease on Canada’s workforce. It also accounts for two-thirds of health care spending in Canada.
Diagnosis, Treatment Costs Increasing
All of this is happening at a time when there is an acute labour shortage and intense competition for top talent, making it difficult to back-fill employees who take time off to look after their health. Meanwhile, the prevalence of chronic disease is growing and the costs of treatment are climbing as the nation’s population continues to age and lead sedentary lifestyles that put them at greater risk of illness.
With so many direct and indirect impacts of chronic disease in the workplace, it’s no wonder that chronic disease is described as the “silent strain” on the employer’s bottom line.
The Return on Benefit Investment
It doesn’t have to be that way. Research shows that employers who support employees in managing their condition can see a return on investment of $3 to $5 in the form of a healthier, happier, and more productive workforce.**
How Employers Can Play a Role
Here’s how employers can tighten the reins on chronic disease in the workplace — and sharpen their competitive edge:
Leverage technology
Consider an investment in virtual health care services, which enables Canadians to connect with medical professionals for diagnosis and treatment through video calls, instant messaging, and internet-connected medical devices.
Get digital
Explore new technologies that can help employees navigate the health care system and stay well. This can be as simple as reimbursing employees for the purchase of a wearable device like a Fitbit. Also, condition-specific mobile apps can help employees lower risk factors and take their drugs as prescribed.
Cover health coaching
Reimburse employees for the services of a health coach to help them gain the knowledge — and the confidence — to take charge of their chronic health condition.
Educate and engage your employees
Make employee health and wellness a primary focus of your workplace education and communication activities. Regularly promote the features and advantages of your benefit plan.
Consider your culture
Focus on developing a culture that positions your workplace as a positive, supportive environment. Consider topping up your plans to offer health spending and personal wellness accounts to give them more choices in how they look after their wellbeing.
Focus on prevention
Take preventative measures to delay the onset of chronic diseases and build mental resilience through management training, wellness webinars, online yoga and meditation classes, healthy snack options and more.
Evaluate your benefits plan
At Medavie Blue Cross, we can help you take a good look at your plan, supported by data analysis, to determine if it sufficiently meets your employees' health and wellness needs. Are there risks or gaps where chronic disease is concerned? If so, it may be time to minimize those risks and fill in those gaps.
We’ve seen a 23.3% increase in per capita claims spending for chronic disease from 2019 to 2022. We’ve responded to this trend with holistic solutions and new technologies that provide members with the best, most immediate access to care possible while containing plan sponsor costs.
Leading the Way with Innovative, Holistic Solutions
In fact, Medavie Blue Cross has long been a pioneer and industry leader in addressing this costly and complex health care challenge.
We were the first to introduce Health Coaching and Chronic Disease Management as an extended health benefit in 2015. This involved creating an extensive nationwide network of health care professionals to help members gain the knowledge and confidence they need to self-manage diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular conditions, as well as to quit smoking.
It’s an evidence-based approach that is likely to produce more long-term success than any single intervention approach on its own. Indeed, studies show that those who receive coaching and education services as part of a holistic approach to treatment are more successful in delaying, managing and even reversing their condition than those who don’t.
We were also among the first Canadian carriers to add Glucose Monitoring Systems and insulin pumps as a standard in our benefit plans.
In 2021, we were the first carrier to market with a holistic diabetes care program — a health coaching service that looks at the whole person rather than just their primary medical condition.
In 2023, the program was renamed 360 Total Care and expanded in focus to support members whose primary area of concern is hypertension or obesity, in addition to diabetes. This program combines health coaching, digital tracking, counselling, and mobile technology to help members take charge of their health — and on their own terms.
Our Connected Care digital health storefront offers a comprehensive suite of services, including live and internet-enabled Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (digital therapy), text therapy, personalized medicine (pharmacogenetic testing), online doctors (virtual doctor visits,) virtual physiotherapy, a mindfulness app for meditation training programs and guided meditations, in addition to the 360 Total Care program.
Our EFAP, inConfidence, is a digital-first but not digital-only service model, an easy-to-use platform and network of counsellors offering video, in-person or telephonic service.
In 2023, the program was renamed 360 Total Care and expanded in focus to support members whose primary area of concern is hypertension or obesity, in addition to diabetes. This program combines health coaching, digital tracking, counselling, and mobile technology to help members take charge of their health — and on their own terms.
Our Connected Care digital health storefront offers a comprehensive suite of services, including live and internet-enabled Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (digital therapy), text therapy, personalized medicine (pharmacogenetic testing), online doctors (virtual doctor visits,) virtual physiotherapy, a mindfulness app for meditation training programs and guided meditations, in addition to the 360 Total Care program.
Our EFAP, inConfidence, is a digital-first but not digital-only service model, an easy-to-use platform and network of counsellors offering video, in-person or telephonic service.
Learn more about how Medavie Blue Cross is going beyond the traditional siloed approaches to disease management to reduce and, in some cases, eliminate disease rates among plan members — and the cost and competitive advantages they create for sponsors.
Learn more about Health Coaching and Chronic Disease Management
Speak to your Medavie Blue Cross Representative to learn more about implementing proactive chronic care management in your workplace.
Medavie Blue Cross is a premier all-in-one carrier that provides health, dental, travel, life and disability benefits and administers federal and provincial government-sponsored health programs. Together with Medavie Health Services, we are part of Medavie, a health solutions partner committed to improving the wellbeing of Canadians. We are in the...