OBJECTIVES: Although the primary goal among patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) is gylcemic control, lack of patient education and healthcare access may represent a major obstacle to proper disease management, particularly in emerging markets such as Brazil.  The aim of the current study was to document the level of patient knowledge of HbA1c levels and its effect on health outcomes. METHODS: Data were analyzed from the Brazil 2011 National Health and Wellness Survey, a cross-sectional health survey of adults in Brazil (N=12,000). Demographics (age, gender, education, socioeconomic status, insurance type), health history (HbA1c level, FPG level, frequency of testing), and health outcomes (health status using the SF-12v2, work productivity loss using the WPAI, and healthcare resource use) were assessed for all respondents. RESULTS: A total of 480 respondents (4.0%) reported a diagnosis of T2D of whom 85.38% did not know their level of HbA1c.  Among those who were aware of their HbA1c level, 60.34% reported being uncontrolled (i.e., a level greater than 7%). Patients who were uncontrolled reported significantly worse physical health status (39.43 vs. 46.68) and a significantly greater percentage work overall impairment (42.93% vs. 25.58%) compared with those who were controlled (all p<.05).  Access to care also was associated with better outcomes as those with private insurance were significantly more likely to have an HbA1c test in the past 3 months (15.57% vs. 6.57%) and significantly less likely to have never been tested (38.32% vs. 43.01%) than those with just public insurance (all p<.05). CONCLUSIONS: The lack of awareness of HbA1c levels suggests a significant gap in patient education. Given the high probability of being uncontrolled, this lack of patient education may have significant humanistic and economic consequences for Brazil from a societal perspective. Improvement in access and education may help improve overall T2D management.