Abacus Health Solutions (Abacus) announced today that EMC is leveraging the Abacus Good Health Gateway® platform to support EMC employees with diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure). The Good Health Gateway platform, which includes technology and behavioral economics, supports users of the platform in better managing their health.
The platform engages, supports, and rewards users for health behaviors based upon established clinical guidelines for managing targeted conditions like diabetes, weight loss, and high blood pressure. Diabetes and hypertension are serious diseases and may lead to severe and life-threatening complications such as blindness, amputation, kidney damage, heart disease, respiratory illness and stroke, when not properly managed. According to the CDC, more than 1 out of 3 adults in the United States has hypertension and/or pre-diabetes.
“These programs align relevant incentives for those who are active in managing their condition with care provided by their own primary care doctors,” said David Ahern Ph.D., Senior Scientist of Abacus.
EMC launched these interventions to provide rich benefits that support employees’ needs and health. Employees who adhere to all recommended diabetes care activities with their doctors receive all of their diabetes medications and supplies for free, promoting greater engagement with doctors and reducing costly prescription medications. In addition, hypertension management is promoted through the use of a Withings wireless enabled home blood pressure monitoring device. Participants are encouraged to share home readings with their physician to help optimize effective treatment of hypertension, including modifications to medication regimens where indicated.
“EMC employees are our greatest asset,” said Lauri Tenney, Director of Benefits and Programs at EMC.
“Providing employees with the tools and resources necessary to manage chronic conditions not only supports them in maintaining a healthy lifestyle, it also serves as education to the latest technology available to make better decisions with their physicians. We’re happy to have worked with Abacus on this important benefit.”
Here is what EMC health plan members had to say:
“I like that the eBP Program provides an easy way to track blood pressure history and share with my
“This program is wonderful. Thanks to this program I learned I had a blood pressure issue and I am working to lower my reading with diet and exercise…I would never have realized I had an issue with my BP without this program.”
“I am extremely satisfied with the Good Health Gateway. The program strongly encourages me to do all the right things to help with my diabetes. I’ve been walking more frequently, watching what I eat, monitoring my blood glucose readings more closely, and it makes sure all visits with my doctors and routine blood work are on schedule. I am also extremely satisfied with the added benefit of the Good Health Gateway program savings on my prescription copays for my diabetes medication and supplies.
