Employer Case Studies Showcase Journeys to Coverage for the National Diabetes Prevention Program

Impact Brief November 2021

In a new series of case studies, NACDD features employers who have chosen to cover the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) lifestyle change program for their employees and beneficiaries. Each journey to coverage is unique, and the case studies share ideas and insider tips on making the employer case for coverage. This fall, the City of Wilmington and UChicago Medicine are featured.

“The National DPP lifestyle change program generates a high return-on investment. Financially, the program is a no-brainer. However, if you think about infusing joy into the workforce, the return is even bigger. COVID-19 slowed us down but did not stop us. I am still sharing healthy plate photos with fellow National DPP participants.”

Dany Bourjolly Smith, City of Wilmington & National DPP Participant

The City of Wilmington, Delaware, is a self-insured employer with an employee base of more than 1,100 employees working in diverse roles across administration, fire, police, water, local health department, and city operations. With support from the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services, the City of Wilmington began offering the National DPP lifestyle change program in 2020 at no cost to its employees, their spouses, and their adult dependents.

The City of Wilmington built a case for coverage using data from a community report, preventive screenings, and employee biometric data such as A1C levels to demonstrate prediabetes as a risk to its employees. Leveraging its insurer’s existing coverage in designing the benefit, the City of Wilmington partnered with the YMCA of Delaware to administer and bill for the program.

The City of Wilmington offered three National DPP lifestyle change program cohorts that began in early 2020 with onsite sessions. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the in-person offerings were successfully adapted to virtual sessions. The City of Wilmington increased employee engagement by offering tools and incentives that included food scales and paid time for taking a portion of the class. Following a successful initial offering, the City of Wilmington began a second round of cohorts in July 2021 and plans to continue offering the program.

Read more about the City of Wilmington’s coverage of the National DPP lifestyle change program, including insider tips and participant feedback.

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“The National DPP lifestyle change program has been an important investment in growing our culture of health. In a short time, we have seen incredible results that exceeded our expectations even during a challenging year. Our employees are excited to grow relationships and build lifelong healthy habits.”

Mandy Clay, UChicago Medicine

The University of Chicago Medicine (UChicago Medicine) is a nonprofit, academic and community health system based on the campus of the University of Chicago. With 9,400 employees, self-insured UChicago Medicine is one of Illinois’s largest employers.

The Midwest Business Group on Health, a health benefits influencer and partner, introduced UChicago Medicine to the benefits of the National DPP lifestyle change program. Voluntary biometric screenings of employees and a review of aggregated employee medical claims data found that approximately 900 employees and their adult dependents had prediabetes. If no action were taken, this would equate to an estimated $3.4M cost to UChicago Medicine’s health plans.

UChicago Medicine carefully designed the benefit and selected a vendor with direct contract to its existing preferred provider organization (PPO) provider to launch the National DPP lifestyle change program as a covered medical benefit.

UChicago Medicine began offering the National DPP lifestyle change program as a pilot in July 2020 to more than 5,000 PPO members, their spouses, and their adult dependents. Success has led to planned expansion to its exclusive provider organization (EPO) plans as well beginning fall 2021.

Read more about UChicago Medicine’s coverage of the National DPP lifestyle change program, including insider tips and participant incentives.

Learn more about the National Diabetes Prevention Program lifestyle program.