Diabetes and the Cost of Unawareness
This month is Diabetes Awareness Month, which can be an easy “awareness” call to overlook… after all, who hasn’t already been made “aware” of diabetes? However, there is a hidden diabetes epidemic in America, and addressing it begins with revealing it.
It is no secret that diabetes is at an epidemic level in the United States, with more than 1 in 10 Americans living with the condition. You have heard the stats a million times, and chances are good you have been personally touched by diabetes yourself or with someone you love. What you may not know is that one in five Americans with diabetes doesn’t know they have it.
That’s 8.5 million Americans who live with a chronic, life-threatening disease who are receiving no treatment for it, have no support systems for it, have had no advice or input on how to address it, and are totally unaware of the risk and impact that their condition is having on their lives.
This effect is even more magnified in underserved and marginalized communities: Black, Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander and Native Americans, people in Appalachian communities, lower-income households, and lower-education households are all more likely to have diabetes than the national average, and are less likely to be receiving medical treatment for it. It has been found that significant histories of betrayal and distrust in America’s healthcare system in many of these communities, leads to even further disengagement and more people living with diabetes and not knowing they have it; we have seen this over and over again in our own primary research on the subject.
Compounding the impact of this hidden epidemic is the cost of untreated diabetes on the patient, the community, and the healthcare system. Families living with diabetes (even those unaware of it) each spend an average of nearly $10,000 in excess medical spending per year on the impact of their diabetes alone. They are more likely to be absent from work or unable to work due to their diabetes, robbing both their households and their communities of their work contribution and wealth-building opportunities to the tune of more than $90MM annually. Exacerbating this issue is the fact that untreated diabetes costs the healthcare system more, as it results in repeated hospital visits and stays, more advanced procedures due to complications, and ultimately driving worse outcomes that lead to greater healthcare system spending of more than $235 billion annually.
There are amazing efforts underway to better identify and address the social determinants of health, and an increased focus on population health disparities. Health systems, public health organizations and industry leaders are doing more work than ever to understand how to serve underserved populations; we are seeing this increased focus with our clients every day. But it is very hard to address and treat a disease that someone doesn’t know they have, and diabetes education starts with diabetes recognition.
So what can you do? Start by understanding the symptoms of diabetes, and if you have any concern that you or someone you love is at risk for diabetes, take the ADA risk test. Then, take the opportunity this Diabetes Awareness Month to share the story of the hidden epidemic (you can start by sharing this blog if you find it helpful) and make sure people in your community know that just because they haven’t been diagnosed doesn’t mean they don’t have diabetes, and encourage them to talk with a doctor about their risks.
This Diabetes Awareness Month, let’s make steps together to not only increase awareness of those diagnosed with diabetes, but to work extra hard on behalf of those who don’t yet know they have it.