According to a new study, obesity comprises 9.1 percent of all medical spending in the United States, up from 6.5 percent in 1998.
“Adult and childhood obesity is definitely a priority for health plans because they’re driving up healthcare costs,” said Robert Zirkelbach, senior manager of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).
Diet, exercise and a healthier lifestyle will curb healthcare costs associated with obesity, according to the study,jointly conducted by RTI International, the Centers for Disease Control and the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.
AHIP has released its Obesity Initiative, along with a white paper with recommendations and case studies.
“Health plans are doing innovative things,” Zirkelbach said. Many work with schools and communities, he said, which lays the foundation for a multi-disciplinary approach to childhood obesity programs.
BlueChoice HealthPlan of South Carolina is expanding its program because of its “high priority” with upper management, said Tamara Fravel, supervisor of health management.
Officials are finalizing a physician toolkit, which provides resources and guidelines on such things as diagnosis coding and motivational interviews, and is developing a member survey now and a physician survey later to measure program success.
BlueChoice’s “Great Expectations for Healthy and Active Kids” was introduced last fall in response to physician inquiries, said Fravel. To date, the program has identified 280 children (aged 2-17) in its member base of more than 49,000, and offers them a one-time, non-copay visit to a registered network dietician; the 10-to-17 age group receives a $15 gift card.
BlueChoice modeled its toolkit after Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, which borrowed from the Maine Youth Overweight Collaborative, said Kevin Kihn, manager of BCBS of Michigan’s Social Mission.
In 2009, Michigan ranked 26th in overweight and obese youths ages 10 to 17, with 30 percent of its youths either overweight or obese. The health plan focused on childhood obesity within its Building Healthy Communities program and as part of its mission to improve the health status of the state’s residents.
Begun in 2004, the program provides grants to schools for a range of initiatives involving healthy nutrition and physical activities, Kihn said.
BCBS of Michigan is in the second distribution of its survey because of demand from pediatricians, family practices, residency programs and health departments. It’s working with Highmark of Pennsylvania to use its physician toolkit, as well as with the BCBS Association to maintain the toolkit.