The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and Leavitt Partners
Launch the National Diabetes Prevention Program Coverage Toolkit:
Resource Aims to Support Payer, Employer, and State Adoption of Lifestyle Change Program
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Note: This page has been updated to reflect the new URL for the Toolkit of https://coveragetoolkit.org.
CONTACT: Paige Rohe, prohe@chronicdisease.org, 470-809-0589
ATLANTA, June 22, 2017—Today, the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD), in partnership with CDC and Leavitt Partners, launches the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) Coverage Toolkit (coveragetoolkit.org).
The National DPP Coverage Toolkit contains resources and information on topics such as contracting, delivery, billing and coding, and data and reporting that are designed to support health insurance plans, employers, and state Medicaid agencies in making the decision to cover the National DPP lifestyle change program. A future release of the site will include content personalized for Medicare Advantage plans.
John Robitscher, CEO of NACDD, says, “NACDD understands the need to increase access to evidence-based prevention programs when addressing chronic disease in this country. Our goal is to provide answers to common questions public and private payers ask about the program, such as how to determine eligibility, how to code and bill, and how to represent the program’s services in contract language, among others.”
Governor Michael O. Leavitt, former Health and Human Services secretary and founder for Leavitt Partners, says, “This toolkit is a tremendous resource for payers interested in covering the National DPP lifestyle change program. By focusing on prevention efforts, payers can achieve cost efficiencies and improve the quality of care for its members, two keys to success in a value-based health care economy.”
NACDD works with state public health departments and public and private payers to increase awareness of prediabetes and access to the National DPP lifestyle change program. Leavitt Partners joined this effort with NACDD because of the firm’s strong commitment to value and prevention in health care.
The Division of Diabetes Translation at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided funding to develop the toolkit.
About Prediabetes
It is estimated that 86 million Americans (one in three) have prediabetes. A person with prediabetes has a blood sugar level higher than normal, and their risk for developing type 2 diabetes is increased. People with type 2 diabetes, on average, have medical expenditures approximately 2.3 times higher than what expenditures would be in the absence of type 2 diabetes. Investing in type 2 diabetes prevention can slow or prevent the development of the disease in adults with prediabetes, resulting in reduced costs and healthier populations.
About the National Diabetes Prevention Program
To address the growing problems of prediabetes and type 2 diabetes, CDC established the National DPP, which provides the framework for type 2 diabetes prevention efforts in the US. The National DPP includes an evidence-based, year-long, lifestyle change program that encourages modest behavior changes to lose weight to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that a loss of even 5-7% of body weight could reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 58% in adults with prediabetes and by 71% in adults older than 60.
There are currently more than 1,400 CDC-recognized organizations offering the National DPP lifestyle change program, who have enrolled more than 100,000 eligible participants. Approximately 65 commercial health plans provide some coverage for the program, and Medicare will start to reimburse for this program in 2018.
About the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors
The National Association of Chronic Disease Directors (NACDD) is a national, public health nonprofit, serving more than 6,500 members and all 50 state and territorial health departments working in chronic disease prevention and control. For more information, visit chronicdisease.org.
About Leavitt Partners
Leavitt Partners is a health care intelligence business. The firm helps clients successfully navigate the evolving role of value in health care by informing, advising, and convening industry leaders on value market analytics, alternative payment models, public health, Medicaid and state policy, federal strategies, and insurance market insights. Through its family of businesses, the firm provides investment support, data and analytics, member-based alliances, and direct services to clients to support decision-making strategies in the value economy. For more information, visit leavittpartners.com.
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