Information for Insurance Brokers and Consultants
Below you will find information about the importance of type 2 diabetes prevention. This information includes resources and testimonials you can use to talk to your clients about preventing type 2 diabetes by offering the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) lifestyle change program as an employee benefit.
Type 2 diabetes is common, costly, and preventable.
More than 37 million Americans—nearly 1 in 10—have diabetes. This number has more than doubled over the last 20 years. In addition, more than 1 in 3 US adults has prediabetes, a serious health condition where blood sugar levels are higher than normal, but not yet high enough for a diabetes diagnosis.
The National DPP lifestyle change program helps people who are at risk prevent or delay type 2 diabetes, which lowers their risk of other serious health problems, such as heart disease and stroke.
The cost of diabetes is staggering.
The National DPP Lifestyle Change Program
The National DPP lifestyle change program follows a yearlong evidence-based curriculum and is led by a trained Lifestyle Coach. Participants learn new skills, set goals, and receive group support. Those who lose 5% to 7% of their body weight and add 150 minutes of exercise per week can reduce their risk of type 2 diabetes by up to 58% (71% for people 60 or older).
Resources for Talking to Clients About the National DPP
By encouraging your clients to offer the National DPP as a covered benefit, you can help them:
Increase employee productivity
by reducing absenteeism and increasing engagement in preventative care
Manage costs
through lower health care spending and smaller premium increases
Improve employee engagement and satisfaction
by offering a program with proven health benefits
See what employers are saying about their success with the National DPP:
“We have been building employer partnerships to help bring the National DPP to more companies in our state. A recent collaboration between a surgical parts manufacturer, a regional hospital, and the YMCA enabled employees to participate in the National DPP even during the COVID-19 pandemic. By building communities of employers, employees, and National DPP providers, we have seen tremendous support for each other, which has been critical to reducing type 2 diabetes in our state.”
—Teirra Riggs, ABD, MS, is a diabetes prevention coordinator at the Indiana Department of Health who works with more than 30 Indiana-based companies to offer the National DPP lifestyle change program.
Learn more about offering the National DPP lifestyle change program from organizations that have had success, including The Dow Chemical Company, Latham & Watkins, and Iron Mountain.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2022. Atlanta, GA: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Dept of Health and Human Services; 2022.
American Diabetes Association. Economic Costs of Diabetes in the U.S. in 2017. Diabetes Care 2018;41(5):917-928. Available from http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/41/5/917.