SCBCH Diabetes Roundtable

Please click here to download a printer-friendly PDF.

Employers Pay the Price for Diabetes

According to the CDC, diabetes now affects nearly 24 million people, or 8 percent of the population in the United States, an increase of more than 3 million in approximately two years. Another 57 million people are estimated to have pre-diabetes, a condition that puts people at increased risk for diabetes.
Most complications associated with diabetes are contributed by patients:

Not knowing how to reduce their risks
Not filling or staying on their medication
Not eating properly or exercising daily
Not being screened or counseled on a regular basis

The economic impact of diabetes on employers has been staggering. The American Diabetes Association reported that one in every five healthcare dollars in the United States is spent caring for someone with diabetes, while one in ten health care dollars is attributed to diabetes. In 2007 the total annual economic cost of diabetes in medical expenditures and lost productivity was estimated to be $174 billion. The 2007 per capita annual costs of health care for people with diabetes is $11,744 a year. Diabetes accounts for 15 million work days absent, 120 million work days with reduced performance, 6 million reduced productivity days for those not in the workplace, and an additional 107 million work days lost due to unemployment disability attributed to diabetes.

Specific actions aimed to control diabetes and prevent its complications will help increase overall employee productivity and company profitability. For instance:

Regular eye exams and timely treatment could prevent up to 90% of diabetes-related blindness
Foot care programs that include regular examinations and patient education could prevent up to 85% of diabetes-related amputations
Controlling blood pressure can reduce heart disease and stroke by 33% – 50% and diabetes-related kidney failure by 33%
Diet and exercise that achieves a 5 to 7% weight loss can reduce diabetes incidence by 58%