Dive Brief:
- A recent HealthMine survey of 750 people enrolled in sponsored wellness programs finds that 28% of the respondents were diagnosed with a chronic condition within the past two years.
- Nearly half of those newly diagnosed with a chronic condition—46%—say they discovered their illness through their wellness program.
- According to the CDC, nearly half of all Americans have chronic conditions, and three out of four healthcare dollars are spent on people with one or more of them.
Dive Insight:
The findings could be valuable considering that diagnoses or chronic diseases are on the rise and that many conditions are believed to be going undiagnosed. As an example, the CDC estimates that one third of those with diabetes are unaware they have it.
On top of that, another HealthMine survey suggests that consumers want to get help to learn their health risks. That survey of 1,200 consumers enrolled in health plans found that nearly three-quarters say wellness programs should include genetic testing to help determine risks for chronic conditions. Many consumers say they also want plans to provide health screenings to detect risks and uncover conditions. It reports that 74% of respondents would undergo vision screenings; 73% would utilize a blood pressure screening; and 69% would value a cholesterol screening.