Georgia Bridges to Excellence Project For Employers

In association with Bridges to Excellence (BTE) and the Center for Health Transformation's Healthy Georgia Diabetes and Obesity Project, a number of large employers will implement the BTE Diabetes Care Link (DCL) Program in Georgia in 2006. This program is about paying incentives to physicians who practice best standards of diabetes care and encouraging individuals with diabetes to see those physicians to improve their quality of life and avoid the long-term complications that so often accompany this disease. In the process, physicians are rewarded for providing high quality care, individuals with diabetes become healthier and employers save money.

An Opportunityfor Employers

Participating employers can..

Save lives
Improve the quality of life for diabetics in Georgia and
Save Money

Diabetes Facts and Costs

Approximately 18 million Americans have diabetes including almost 6 million who don't know it.
Unfortunately, diabetics only receive appropriate treatment 50% of the time.
Diabetes is the leading cause of adult blindness, the leading cause of amputation of limbs, and a major cause of heart disease.
Estimates indicate that diabetes costs as much as one out of every four dollars of Medicare spending.
Based on data for the year 2002, the economic cost of diabetes care was $132 billion: $92 billion in direct medical costs and $40 billion in indirect costs such as lost work days and restricted activity.
The average expense for a diabetic was $13,243 or 5.2 times greater than the expense for a non-diabetic.

Return on Investment for Employers

During the first quarter 2005, an evaluation of the return on investment was conducted of the Diabetes Physician Recognition Program implemented in Cincinnati, Ohio and Louisville, Kentucky. Following is a summary of the results.

Average annualized costs for diabetic care by BTE endocrinologists was $370 less than for non-BTE endocrinologists.
Average annualized costs for diabetic care by BTE primary care physicians (PCP) was approximately $250 less than for non-BTE PCPs.
Although average outpatient costs were a little higher in BTE certified physicians, these expenses were offset by decreased inpatient costs.

Employer Responsibilities

Make a commitment to the program by signing the Regional Employers Letter of Commitment
Fund the BTE administrative operations costs and incentive payments to certified physicians who treat their diabetic employees, retirees or the employer's covered diabetic dependents.
Provide funds to reimburse the DPRP application fee for Georgia physicians who become DPRP certified.
Communicate with their health plan providers about the program and ensure that they become licensed by BTE to administer DCL and that they will assist the employer with physician recruitment as needed

For more information contact Terry Womack, Senior Fellow, CHT at twomack@gingrichgroup.com.