CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, one of Greater Washington's largest health insurers, will dedicate $10.5 million in the coming years toward "addressing the root causes of diabetes" in D.C. and Maryland.
The insurer is aiming to use data and targeted programs and partnerships to help improve health outcomes for individuals, families and communities throughout the mid-Atlantic region, especially relating to diabetes, which the Centers for Disease Control identifies as the seventh leading cause of death in the U.S. The multiyear initiative will target underlying health and social conditions associated with a high prevalence of or higher risk of developing diabetes, including economic, environmental and social conditions.
CareFirst will launch its diabetes-focused initiatives in phases, starting with two communities in Washington, D.C. — wards 7 and 8 — and Prince George's County and Baltimore city in Maryland. Three more communities will be added in 2022. The company plans to collaborate with local anchor institutions and community organizations to enhance the effectiveness of social intervention programs and preventive care techniques. Organizations and projects can apply for funding from CareFirst through a request for proposals process.
CEO Brian D. Pieninck said CareFirst is working with Socially Determined, a Washington, D.C. health care analytics firm, to assess a range of risk factors in certain communities, including local economics, food insecurity, health literacy, violence exposure, housing instability, transportation barriers and vulnerability to Covid-19. Such factors are often commonly called "social determinants of health," or those conditions beyond basic health metrics that may affect a person's or group's overall wellness. Findings from Socially Determined's analysis helped CareFirst select the six pilot communities in which to launch new social and clinical interventions aimed at improving diabetes metrics.
Over 120 million adults have diabetes or pre-diabetes, according to the CDC. CareFirst said this prevalence is "alarming," but said diabetes is "a preventable clinical condition when care addresses a person’s whole health." The company further noted that appropriately managing diabetes has become especially important during the pandemic, as such health conditions are related to a higher risk of developing extreme illness from Covid-19 infection.
“Zip codes are a greater predictor of health than our genetic code,” said Stacia Cohen, a registered nurse and executive vice president of health services at CareFirst. “Health begins in our homes, schools, workplaces, neighborhoods and communities. Place and geography matter, but equally important are the grassroots initiatives in those areas.”
Efforts that CareFirst plans to invest in include (but are not limited to):
- Expanding engagement and relationships with select Local Health Improvement Coalitions, health departments and businesses to promote investments in community wellness and improve health care accessibility.
- Implementing culturally relevant community-based programs that address health literacy for residents speaking a language other than English, to reduce health disparities in historically underserved communities.
- Developing health literacy training for providers, care managers and community health practitioners to assist with interventions such as pre-diabetes screenings, disease self-management training and improved access to healthy foods.
