ACHP Member Plans’ Commitment to Addressing Chronic Diseases

July 10, 2023

by Jennifer Lee, M.D.

Chronic Disease Day, recognized annually on July 10, draws attention to the prevalence and broad impact of conditions that affect millions of Americans. For example: 

• 7 out of 10 deaths in the U.S. are due to a chronic disease ^[1]
• Roughly 6 out of 10 Americans live with a chronic disease, and nearly 1.7 million lose their lives to chronic diseases every year. ^[2] 
• Chronic conditions account for 90% of total health care costs in the U.S. ^[3] 
• Diabetes alone makes up $1 out of every $4 in health care costs in the US, while heart disease remains the leading cause of death for Americans. ^[4]
• Communities of color carry a disproportionate burden of chronic disease and generally suffer worse outcomes. For example, certain communities of color are more than twice as likely as White people to die from diabetes, and Black people are more likely than White people to die from heart disease. ^[5]

ACHP and our members believe our health care system must do a better job preventing and managing chronic conditions, particularly when considering issues surrounding health equity and access to care. We know that we will not reduce morbidity and mortality from chronic disease until we target our efforts upstream, thereby mitigating the many risk factors contributing to conditions like diabetes and heart disease That is why all our member health plans committed earlier this year to the ACHP Chronic Disease Pledge to measure and address the specific drivers of diabetes and heart disease in their communities by 2030. As part of the Chronic Disease Pledge, each member plan chose specific targets that align with the HHS Healthy People 2030 goals in their communities focused on diabetes, hypertension, childhood obesity or some combination of the three. 

ACHP members already have a history of outperforming other insurance plans when it comes to managing these chronic conditions. Our plans are better at controlling high blood pressure for those with hypertension and achieving glucose control in people with diabetes. ACHP plans generate these results because they know their communities well and have been rooted in their communities for more than four decades, on average. They also work collaboratively with their provider partners, or in many cases are part of the same system, so they share the same goals and incentives when it comes to improving the health of the populations they serve.  

Because of the diversity of the communities in which our member plans live and work, there is variation in the strategies chosen to reach respective Pledge goals. But some common themes have already emerged.  

• Prioritizing Health Equity 
• Leveraging Data  
• Partnering to Meet Community Need  

Today, as we recognize Chronic Disease Day, ACHP is excited to support our member plans as they work toward their Pledge commitments in the coming years, and we look forward to seeing how they harness their collective innovation to significantly and measurably impact chronic conditions in communities nationwide. 

^[1] https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/center/index.htm 

^[2] https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/index.htm 

^[3] https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/about/costs/index.htm 

^[4] https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/diabetes-prediabetes.htm 

^[5] https://www.kff.org/racial-equity-and-health-policy/report/key-data-on-health-and-health-care-by-race-and-ethnicity/#HealthStatus 

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