Unlock savings with chronic condition management: A win-win for employers

Every day, millions of U.S. employees face the (often-unseen) struggles of managing a chronic condition. Six out of ten American adults have at least one chronic disease, the leading cause of disability, death, and illness in the United States. How does this impact the workplace? Chronic disease costs U.S. employers over $36.4 billion in absenteeism alone and contributes to 90% of health-care costs in the U.S. And a reason why chronic condition management is getting more traction with employers.

Complicating matters is the relationship between obesity and chronic conditions. Though we know that obesity is a major contributing factor to chronic disease risk, many organizations don’t have a specific obesity management program. The good news is that we know, through data and time-tested methods, what works well. With the right tools, the path to better health for your population is more attainable than ever. And that’s a win-win: A qualified chronic condition management strategy can lay the foundation for better employee health and reduced health-care costs.

Why chronic condition management is critical for employers

By understanding the biggest cost drivers behind obesity–related chronic conditions that can be addressed through chronic condition management, employers can simultaneously improve the health of their people and their bottom line.

• MSK: Musculoskeletal (MSK) conditions are a top health-care cost for employers and payers, who spend $353 billion annually on treatments collectively—accounting for nearly 15% of their overall medical costs.

• Heart health: Cardiovascular disease, the leading cause of death for decades, is another expensive chronic condition tied to obesity. Chronic condition programs can reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, and high blood pressure—saving money from costly interventions and more importantly, saving lives.

• Type 2 diabetes: Employers and payers spend an estimated $245 billion per year on diabetes, with $175 billion spent on direct costs (ex. medication and treatment), and $70 billion on indirect costs (ex. absenteeism and lost productivity).

• Menopause: U.S. employers spend about $1.8 billion per year due to menopause-related lost workdays. An additional $24 billion is spent on direct medical expenses related to menopause symptoms.
  

A step-by-step guide to effective chronic condition management

Step 1: Prioritize prevention

The best type of claim is the one that doesn’t happen. It’s no surprise that chronic condition prevention is more cost-effective than treatment. Use the following tips to further your preventive efforts:

• Make behavior the foundation: Implement a chronic condition management program that is rooted in behavior-change science to achieve sustainable health outcomes.
  

• Give qualified tools and support: Provide access to nutrition counseling and wellness programs to encourage sustainable health habits.

Step 2: Support employees with chronic conditions

Providing the right support and care is key for chronic condition management. Addressing their condition in a safe and effective way can improve their quality of life, productivity, and long-term health outcomes. Here are a few tips to ensure employees with chronic conditions are getting the care that they need:

• Prioritize personalization to increase engagement: Implement a program that is personalized to address the root causes of obesity and related metabolic health conditions.

• Provide access to qualified experts: The support of certified obesity experts and Registered Dietitians can optimize outcomes and reduce treatment drop-off rates.

Step 3: Leverage GLP-1 support

We can’t talk about chronic condition management without addressing GLP-1s, as research shows these medications drastically reduce the risk of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, liver disease, kidney disease, MSK, Alzheimer’s and more. While there’s no doubt that GLP-1 usage is rising, there is a lack of support for people taking these medications. Medication adherence, side effect management, and achieving clinically meaningful health improvements are contingent on receiving the right GLP-1 support and expertise. Here’s what to look for:

• Manage muscle loss with physical activity: Physical activity (especially strength training) plays a crucial role for the health of employees taking weight-loss medications. GLP-1s can lead to muscle loss, but a program that focuses on physical activity will help to maintain a healthy metabolism,  preserve muscle, and make weight loss achieved through GLP-1s more sustainable.

• Provide tailored medication management: Every employee has their own unique needs (lifestyle, dietary needs, medical history, medication use, etc.), and therefore requires personalized care from qualified experts with a background and training in obesity management. Tactics to truly individualize care can mean a wider range of medications (not just GLP-1s), step therapy, side effect mitigation, and medication adherence management.

• Integrate GLP-1s into a broader strategy: GLP-1s aren’t a standalone solution. They’re just one tool in the wellness toolbox. By using behavior change as the foundation for your wellness strategy, it amplifies treatments such as GLP-1s and other wellness tools.

Step 4: Focus on whole health

Having just one chronic disease increases the risk of having multiple chronic conditions (MCC), making a broad approach key to improving well-being. Additionally, chronic conditions often intersect with other health areas like mental health, menopause, or weight. When assessing a chronic condition management program, ensure that it uses a comprehensive approach:

• Address mental and physical health together: Ensure that your behavioral program addresses multiple cornerstones of health: mental well-being, physical activity, nutrition, stress management, and more.

• Remove barriers to access: Scalable, accessible solutions not only integrate digital and human touchpoints – they are also flexible enough to adapt to every individual’s personal needs: their lifestyle, schedule, eating habits, dietary needs, fitness level, and more.

Step 5: Measure ROI with reporting and tracking

Effective strategies are only possible with comprehensive data. Regular monitoring and reporting allow organizations to understand what works best for their population. Here’s how to use data to fit your population’s specific needs:

• Use regular data and tracking to gain insights: Track metrics like health outcomes, employee engagement, and ROI to see what is actually moving the needle for employee health.

• Adapt to increase effectiveness: Flexible and adaptable programs do more than just reporting, they help you pivot efforts and tactics to increase results and impact.

Implementing a chronic condition management strategy has a multiplier effect, with a positive impact on employee health, health-care costs, and workforce productivity. Using science-backed solutions like Wondr Plus can help your organization with preventive and therapeutic interventions to address the most prevalent and expensive chronic health conditions among your workforce ultimately improving the health of your people and your bottom line. A win-win for organizations.