New Therapy Offered at No Additional Cost to
Certain UnitedHealthcare Members in 27 States
- Some Level2 participants achieved diabetes remission and no
longer needed medication for type 2 diabetes
- The pilot offers a combination of real-time glucose monitoring,
lifestyle changes and one-on-one coaching to help people stabilize
blood sugar levels and flag potential COVID-19 infections
- Level2 is available at no additional cost to more than 230,000
employer-sponsored, fully insured UnitedHealthcare members in 27
states and Washington, D.C.
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) has launched an innovative new
therapy that combines wearable technology and customized personal
support to help improve the health of people living with type 2
diabetes.
This press release features multimedia. View
the full release here:
https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200713005172/en/
Diabetes in America & COVID-19
(Graphic: Business Wire)
The therapy — known as Level2 — helps eligible participants gain
real-time insights about their condition and, for some,
successfully reduce spikes in blood sugar levels or even achieve
type 2 diabetes remission. Level2 equips eligible participants with
integrated tools that include a mobile continuous glucose monitor
(CGM), activity tracker, app-based alerts and one-on-one clinical
coaching to help encourage healthier lifestyle decisions, such as
food choices, exercise and sleep patterns. In the future,
UnitedHealth Group may offer the Level2 model to support people
with other chronic conditions beyond type 2 diabetes.
Maintaining appropriate blood sugar levels, as measured by
hemoglobin A1C, is a key focus for people with diabetes. In a pilot
study of more than 790 UnitedHealthcare members, certain Level2
participants achieved a clinically meaningful reduction in their
A1C within 90 days. Participants who began this therapy with the
most significantly elevated A1C (above 8.0%) saw the greatest
reduction (more than 1 percentage point decrease on average).1 By
helping participants better control blood sugar levels and, in
certain cases, achieve type 2 diabetes remission, some Level2
participants no longer require medication for their condition. To
date, Level2 has helped participants improve their health to the
degree they eliminated the need for more than 450
prescriptions.
“The combination of insights and resources in Level2 provides a
high-touch, therapeutic benefit to help participants take charge of
their type 2 diabetes and achieve better health,” said Amy Meister,
D.O., CEO of Level2. “Connected devices such as continuous glucose
monitors and activity trackers may be game changers for the
approximately 30 million people2 nationwide living with type 2
diabetes. By expanding this innovative new therapy to more members
across the country, we are empowering people with actionable
information and personalized support.”
Initial studies show that sudden changes in blood sugar levels
among people with type 2 diabetes may indicate potential COVID-19
infections. Closely monitoring this metric among Level2
participants and supporting people at greater risk for COVID-19
complications, Level2 has demonstrated the ability to predict
potential COVID-19 infections and help encourage access to needed
medical care earlier. Type 2 diabetes may be a risk factor
associated with worse outcomes related to COVID-19.3 However,
people with type 2 diabetes whose blood sugar is stable may
experience fewer medical complications and greater likelihood of
recovery from COVID-19.4
Level2 is part of UnitedHealth Group’s industry-leading focus on
integrating human support with advanced data analytics, including
from real-time sources such as digital health technologies, to help
improve and personalize therapies. UnitedHealth Group initiatives
in clinical research and science are focused on a range of health
conditions and most recently COVID-19, including collaborations
with leading academic institutions. More details are available at
unitedinresearch.com.
Through Level2, the combination of wearable technology, clinical
coaching, lifestyle changes and incentives* — all offered at no
additional cost to eligible UnitedHealthcare members who enroll —
is designed to help empower people with type 2 diabetes to become
healthier and potentially achieve remission. This is accomplished
by helping participants use the latest scientifically proven
techniques and personalized support to understand and more
effectively stabilize blood sugar levels.
More than 230,000 UnitedHealthcare employer-sponsored, fully
insured health plan participants in 27 states and Washington D.C.
are now eligible for Level2. Participants enrolled in some
employer-sponsored health plans may earn financial incentives,
including cash or gift cards, by taking actions such as
consistently wearing a CGM; completing post-meal walks; interacting
with an assigned coach; and following personalized
recommendations*.
This multifaceted therapy is being expanded on a pilot basis to
select plan participants enrolled in eligible employer-sponsored,
fully insured health plans in the following markets: Arizona,
Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa,
Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri,
Nebraska, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania,
Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia,
Washington, D.C., West Virginia, and Wisconsin.
Level2 will be made available to select employers with
self-funded plans later this year.
*Available incentives may vary by state and health plan
type/design; eligible incentives offered through Level2 may be in
addition to other well-being rewards available through the
participants’ health benefits.
About UnitedHealth Group
UnitedHealth Group (NYSE: UNH) is a diversified health care
company dedicated to helping people live healthier lives and
helping to make the health system work better for everyone.
UnitedHealth Group offers a broad spectrum of products and services
through two distinct platforms: UnitedHealthcare, which provides
health care coverage and benefits services; and Optum, which
provides information and technology-enabled health services. For
more information, visit UnitedHealth Group at
www.unitedhealthgroup.com or follow @UnitedHealthGrp on
Twitter.
1 UnitedHealthcare analysis of more than 790 Level2 participants
enrolled in employer-sponsored and Medicare Advantage plans, 2020 2
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2020,
https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/basics/type2.html 3 Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention, 2020,
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-at-higher-risk.html
4 Cell Metabolism, 2020,
https://www.cell.com/cell-metabolism/fulltext/S1550-4131(20)30238-2
View source
version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200713005172/en/
Eric Hausman UnitedHealth Group (952) 936-3963
eric.hausman@uhg.com
UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH)
Historical Stock Chart
From Feb 2024 to Mar 2024
UnitedHealth (NYSE:UNH)
Historical Stock Chart
From Mar 2023 to Mar 2024