OBJECTIVES: HbA1c is the average blood glucose levels for the previous two to three months. It’s the main test to help health care teams manage patients’ diabetes. Closing the HbA1c gap in diabetes care is essential. But few studies explore the relationship between healthcare cost and HbA1c care gap closure. This study seeks to quantify the financial impact of diabetic HbA1c care gap closure on healthcare cost.

METHODS: Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Louisiana member-level claim data from 2018 to 2021 were used. The diabetic HbA1c care gap closure status of members was reported by CareAnalyzer® Reports. Members in this study started with “Poor HbA1c” (a value greater than 9%) and became “HbA1c compliant” (with a value equal to or less than 9%). Researchers used interrupted time series analysis and multivariate linear regression to study the relationship between the closure of the diabetic HbA1c care gap and the health care cost.

RESULTS: Interrupted time series analysis revealed that, on average, for each member with “Poor HbA1c,” the first month of turning compliant saved $78.44 (p<.001). The total per member savings in health care cost in the first year of compliance was an estimated $1,696. Multivariate linear regression showed that members who had HbA1c between 8% and 9% cost $52.67 (p<.001) less per month than members with “Poor HbA1c.” In addition, researchers found that members with an HbA1c of less than 7% cost $35.37 (p<.001) more per month, in comparison with members with HbA1c between 8% and 9%.

CONCLUSIONS: Closing the diabetic HbA1c care gap showed financial savings. The benefits of closing a diabetic HbA1c care gap increases as members continue to remain in compliance for an extended time. The opportunity for savings in Louisiana is huge given the large diabetic population.