Good News: Percentage of Working Age People with Diabetes, Hospital and
Professional Charges Lower Than Both PA and National Averages
Bad News: Percentage of Seniors with Diabetes Significantly Higher Than
Both the PA & National Averages
PITTSBURGH, April 2 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Pittsburgh Business
Group on Health (PBGH) announced today the release of a new report on the
prevalence, costs and quality of care for people with Type 2 diabetes. The
inaugural Pittsburgh Type 2 Diabetes Report for 2006 presents an overview
of patient demographics, hospital and professional charges, utilization of
clinical services and drug therapy for people with Type 2 Diabetes in
Pittsburgh, other regional markets in Western Pennsylvania and Wheeling,
West Virginia. The report also provides state and national benchmarks that
can help employers and providers better identify opportunities to serve the
needs of people with Type 2 diabetes.
"PBGH developed the Pittsburgh Type 2 Diabetes Report to serve as a
useful resource for employers in their efforts to provide work-site
wellness and care management programs to help employees manage chronic
conditions like diabetes more effectively," said Christine Whipple,
executive director of PBGH. "This report points out the good progress that
has been made in the Pittsburgh region caring for people with diabetes,"
added Donna Frisch, Senior Manager, Corporate Benefits, H.J. Heinz Company
and the PBGH President, "but it also spotlights where the need is to
support people with Type 2 diabetes."
Prevalence of diabetes for prime working age versus seniors
According to this report, less than half (49.1 percent) the people with
Type 2 Diabetes in 2005 in Pittsburgh were between the ages of 18 and 64
years old, the prime working ages for most Americans. This was
significantly less than the PA average of 52.7% and the national average of
53.8 percent. For the population over age 64, however, the percentage of
people with Type 2 Diabetes, 50.6%, is significantly higher than both the
PA average of 46.9% and the national average of 43.8%
Charges for diabetes care in Pittsburgh is lower
Charges for the care of people with Type 2 diabetes are lower in
Pittsburgh than the both the national and PA averages. The Report shows
that the 2005 annual average for hospital inpatient charges for treating
people with Type 2 Diabetes was $32,354, significantly lower than the
national average of $39,401 that was significantly lower than the PA
average of $54,795. The average annual office visit charges for treating
people with Type 2 diabetes in Pittsburgh, $1,002, were also lower than the
PA average of $1,289 and significantly lower than the national average of
$3,266.
Quality of care shows positives
The quality of care indicators for patients with Type 2 diabetes, a
major concern, pointed to positive signs for employers who want to ensure
that their employees receive appropriate care. In addition to demographic
and cost information, the Pittsburgh Type 2 Diabetes Report shows the
percentage of people with diabetes receiving recommended services, such as
for glucose, Hemoglobin A1C and cholesterol blood tests, as well as eye
exams and urine tests for glucose. The percentages for these care
indicators are higher in Pittsburgh compared to the national averages. For
example, people with Type 2 diabetes in Pittsburgh who received a
Hemoglobin A1C test (a key marker for managing diabetes) in 2005 was 77.0
percent compared to the national average of 74.1 percent. 87.2 percent of
people with diabetes received the cholesterol test in Pittsburgh compared
to the nationally average of 83.9 percent.
PBGH believes that the Pittsburgh Type 2 Diabetes Report for 2006 will
help providers and employers continue to support efforts to manage the
increasing prevalence, costs and quality of care provided to people with
Type 2 diabetes. "PPG is committed to improving the health and wellness of
our employees. This report provides benchmark information that enhances our
ability to analyze our employees' health care needs and the most efficient
means to address those needs. It can also be used for developing and
supporting multi-stakeholder efforts to support people with diabetes both
locally, across Pennsylvania and West Virginia," said Alberto Colombi, MD,
Medical Director, PPG Industries.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than 17 million
Americans have diabetes, with an average of 1 million new cases being
diagnosed each year in people over the age of 20. Nine out of ten of these
patients have the Type 2 variety. The cost of diabetes in the US was
approximately $132 billion in 2002, with $92 billion spent on medical
services. The economic loss to the US economy due to higher rates of lost
work time, disability and premature mortality associated with diabetes in
the working population was approximately $40 billion in 2002.
About the Pittsburgh Type 2 Diabetes Report for 2006
The Pittsburgh Type 2 Diabetes Report for 2006 helps PBGH fulfill its
commitment to its employer members and community health partners to promote
and maintain a high quality, efficient and affordable health care delivery
system. The report was produced with assistance from sanofi-aventis U.S.
LLC. The complete report is available in electronic format on PBGH's
website at http://www.pbghpa.com and may be downloaded free of charge.
About Pittsburgh Business Group on Health
Founded in 1981, the Pittsburgh Business Group on Health (PBGH) is a
regional employer leadership organization representing 64 member
organizations, more than 800,000 employees, dependents and retirees, and
over $3 billion in health care expenditures. The coalition promotes
education, collaboration, and innovation among its members to drive value
and quality in health care and benefits. Programs and activities include
raising awareness through community forums, members' only meetings and an
annual conference, group purchasing opportunities and benchmarking efforts
through health plan evaluations, regional and national and member surveys.
http://www.pbghpa.com.
About sanofi-aventis
Sanofi-aventis is one of the world's leading pharmaceutical companies.
Backed by a world-class R&D organization, sanofi-aventis is developing
leading positions in seven major therapeutic areas: cardiovascular,
thrombosis, oncology, metabolic diseases, central nervous system, internal
medicine, and vaccines. Sanofi-aventis is listed in Paris (EURONEXT: SAN)
and in New York (NYSE: SNY). Sanofi-aventis U.S. LLC is headquartered in
Bridgewater, New Jersey. http://www.sanofi-aventis.us or
http://www.sanofi-aventis.com .
For more information, contact: Jason Snyder, WordWrite Communications
at 412-894-7828.
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