Real-world Impact of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus in Employer-sponsored Benefit Plans

Our aim in this study was to quantify the health-benefit costs associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D) among employees aged 40 to 59 years in Canadian employer-sponsored benefit plans.

We analyzed a self-insured health benefit plan database of >100,000 employees during 2019 to 2023 in Canada. Employees with T2D or no diabetes were identified, and claims were examined across prescription drug, extended health care (EHC), short-term disability (STD), and long-term disability (LTD).

In 2023, employees with T2D (n=3,575) had higher annual per-person total benefits cost of $6,488 vs $3,003 for those without diabetes (n=31,314). This was mainly due to higher drug claims ($3,471 vs $1,047) and LTD claims ($1,745 vs $983). A higher proportion of employees with T2D had a disability claim compared to those without (LTD 9.6% vs 5.5%, age-adjusted prevalence ratio 1.64; STD 8.6% vs 5.4%, age-adjusted prevalence ratio 1.63). The greatest difference in disability claims was for cardiovascular conditions (LTD 0.48% vs 0.06%, age-adjusted prevalence ratio 7.77; STD 0.48% vs 0.08%, age-adjusted prevalence ratio 7.65).

This study underscores the substantial economic impact of T2D across health benefits for employers, highlighting the opportunity for employers to help their employees to better manage their diabetes by ensuring access to innovative medications and disease management programs.