Vermont Business Magazine The Obama Administration has announced its intention to expand support for diabetes prevention programs after studying the results of a YMCA of the USA wellness program, which has proven successful in preventing Type 2 Diabetes. In Vermont, the Y Diabetes Prevention Program is offered through a partnership of the Greater Burlington YMCA, the Vermont Blueprint for Health and the Vermont Department of Health. Vermont was the first state to offer the Y Diabetes Prevention Program statewide and in partnership with state health services.
People across Vermont can sign up for upcoming workshops at the recently launched website www.MyHealthyVt.org.
The success of the Y Diabetes Prevention Program was underscored in an announcement by the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the sixth anniversary of the passage of the Affordable Care Act. This marks the first time that a program based upon a preventative service model has been expanded into the Medicare program.
The decision to expand support for the program came after an independent study of a federally funded Y Diabetes Prevention Program (YDPP) pilot program. The independent study certified that the YDPP would: 1) reduce Medicare spending; 2) and improve the quality of patient care; 3) without limiting coverage or benefits.
When compared with similar beneficiaries not enrolled in the pilot program, Medicare estimated savings of $2,650 for each enrollee in the Y Diabetes Prevention Program over a 15-month period, more than enough to cover the cost of the program.
While Vermont was not a part of the pilot study, the impact for program participants here has exceeded those seen on a national level, lending further support to the federal conclusions.
- YDPP participants in Vermont have recorded a weekly average of 184.9 minutes of physical activity, which is 17% greater than the national average.
- 72% of Vermont participants have been successful in tracking their food intake, a rate 14% higher than counterparts nationally.
- Vermont participants have seen an average weight loss of 4.9%, which is, again, above the national average.
In Vermont, the collaborative efforts of the Greater Burlington Y, the Vermont Blueprint for Health and the Vermont Department of Health to deliver the Y Diabetes Prevention Program date back three and a half years. The YDPP workshops are available to all eligible Vermonters at no cost, thanks to federal funding that the State has allocated to this program. Workshops are offered in each of Vermont’s 14 health service areas.
One in four Americans (86 million people) have prediabetes, up from 79 million in 2010, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Only 10 percent of those with prediabetes know they have it, but with awareness and simple actions such as those emphasized in the YDPP workshops, people with prediabetes may prevent or delay the onset of diabetes.
While the amount of increased funding to be made available to Vermont to implement this program is not yet clear, the expansion of Medicare coverage will help strengthen and grow these programs, providing resources for additional outreach and recruiting, with the potential to expand the roster of workshop locations.
For anyone interested in discovering when and where the next Y Diabetes Prevention Program workshop is being offered, visit www.MyHealthyVT.org. For organizations -- from businesses, to senior living communities, to community leaders -- interested in sponsoring a workshop, reach out to Kristin Magnant with the Greater Burlington YMCA at 802-652-8196 or [email protected].
The Y
The Greater Burlington YMCA is a non-profit organization with roots in Burlington that date to 1866 with a mission to build a strong community by involving youth, adults and families in programs and activities that develop spirit, mind and body. Last year, the Y awarded $600,000 in financial assistance so everyone could access the Y’s life-enriching programs regardless of ability to pay.
Blueprint for Health
The Vermont Blueprint for Health is a state-led, nationally recognized initiative that helps health care providers meet the medical and social needs of people in their communities. Medical Homes are the foundation of the Blueprint, along with Practice Facilitators who help them continuously improve care, and Community Health Teams who expand available services to include free care coordination, counseling, substance abuse treatment support, health coaching and more. The Blueprint also helps design innovative supports for Vermont's most vulnerable citizens, like Support and Services at Home (SASH) for elders and Hub & Spoke Medication Assisted Therapy for individuals battling opioid addiction. All Blueprint work is closely integrated with health and human service organizations through Community Collaboratives that guide care delivery and payment reforms at the local level. As our health care system evolves, the Blueprint's aim is constant: better care, better health, and better control over health care costs.
Vermont Department of Health
The Vermont Department of Health has worked closely with the Vermont Blueprint for Health since its inception in 2003, advising on chronic disease self-management support programs. In 2010, the Health Department recommended that the Blueprint import the YMCA's Diabetes Prevention Program when it became clear that the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the YMCA of the USA were aligning to bring this important community-based program to scale. The Health Department also continues to use funding from CDC to create and offer online resources that help state organizations prevent and manage diabetes: www.healthvermont.gov/prevent/diabetes/diabetes.aspx