More than 600,000 people in Arizona are living with diabetes with direct medical costs adding up to $5.1 billion a year, according to the CDC.
Many patients will tell you the real cost is their quality of life.
Bob Leary was diagnosed 20 years ago, but the domino effect of the disease and poor management eventually caught up with him and resulted in an emergency triple-bypass, kidney failure, and being on the brink of needing dialysis.
"It is the most diabolical disease a person can have. The reason I say that is it affects every single part of your body," said Leary.
Today, in his mid-60s, Leary is back to camping, chasing around his dog, playing pickleball, and leading a healthier active lifestyle which he attributes to joining Optum Arizona's clinical diabetes management program.
Nurse Practitioner Patti Summers works with about 200 patients educating how diabetes impacts the body, why blood sugar spikes, identifying triggers, tracking their numbers, and working with doctors to streamline their treatment plans. When appropriate, she helps patients attain glucose monitors. She's also able to spend time with each patient which is otherwise unheard of during a traditional doctor's visit.
"Sometimes I spend up to two hours with each patient just helping them understand what's going on because this is a very complex disease," said Nurse Summers.
For Leary, better understanding what each medication does and having someone weigh the cost-benefit took him from needing 17 prescriptions to six — a monthly savings of close to $1,000. He says they even identified one medication that was making him worse. He says bi-weekly doctor visits are also now down to a couple a year, adding to the savings.
Nurse Summers says most patients graduate the program in about 100 days when their sugar levels are closer to normal, blood pressure and cholesterol are controlled and kidney function is optimized.
You do need to be enrolled in medicare advantage to participate.
Call 623-293-9998 to learn more or visit optum.com.