DALLAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CCS — leading provider of clinical solutions and home-delivered medical supplies for those living with chronic conditions — today announced new peer-reviewed research showing patients living with diabetes who use a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device stay on therapy longer and have a lower total cost of care when they receive their supplies through a medical benefit, instead of a pharmacy benefit. The peer-reviewed publication in the Journal of Medical Internet Research Diabetes (JMIR) used a retrospective claims analysis to demonstrate that patients receiving their CGM through the medical benefit instead of a pharmacy had 35% lower average annual total costs of care and 23% higher device adherence rates. CCS also recently presented supporting research at the ADCES and ISPOR conferences.
The JMIR Diabetes research — Exploring Real-World Adherence and Cost Implications of Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Patients with Diabetes: Impact of Device Sourcing — was conducted by CCS as part of its commitment to defragment and optimize chronic care management for patients and clinicians. The research showed statistically significant insights reinforcing that the benefit channel through which patients access a CGM matters. People using a CGM provided through the medical benefit instead of the pharmacy benefit realized:
- Stronger Adherence to CGM Therapy — Medical benefit had 23% greater adherence;
- A Higher Rate of Therapy Reinitiation in Non-Adherent Patients — Medical benefit was 22%, while pharmacy benefit was only 10%; and
- Lower Average Total Cost of Care — Total medical costs for adherent patients receiving supplies through the pharmacy benefit were 53% greater.
Based on more than 30 years of serving people with diabetes, CCS confidently believes patient education and coaching services provided by medical suppliers offering CGMs are precisely why patients fare better. With only half (52%) of patients using CGM technology reporting that they received diabetes self-management education and support, the need for increased investment in diabetes education and coaching for patients is pressing. Also, widely reported staffing shortages and pharmacy closures leave patients with less access and clinicians and pharmacists with even less time to support patients in proactive and preventive care best practices, such as education and coaching specific to using a new CGM.
“CGMs are only effective if people use them,” said Dr. Arti Masturzo, Chief Medical Officer at CCS. “This first-of-its-kind research demonstrates that a physician’s decision to direct a patient to use their medical benefit instead of their pharmacy benefit when accessing a medical device can seriously impact health outcomes and costs of care. Data-driven insights like this are highly valuable to clinicians and care teams who are the first line of defense when it comes to improving patient outcomes and reducing waste in our healthcare system.”
As a leading chronic care management company, CCS provides clinical solutions and home-delivered medical supplies for individuals with chronic conditions, particularly diabetes. The company collaborates with health plans, providers, manufacturers, and employers to streamline the patient journey. CCS integrates medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and clinical education and coaching services into a seamless platform, ensuring a cohesive and effective healthcare experience. Most recently, CCS launched a new AI-powered predictive model, PropheSee™, that identifies patients at risk of falling off therapy and deploys impactful, hyper-personalized interventions that help to improve patient adherence by as much as 50% compared to control groups.*
As CGM coverage and adoption continue to expand, companies like CCS have stepped up to bridge gaps in patient education, coaching, and experience — especially for patients like Scott Gerberich, who are living with diabetes, a complex, costly chronic disease that requires management day in and day out. “I am grateful to have the support of a care team like CCS. They’ve coached me on how to use a CGM and helped educate me on the value of using my medical benefit to access a CGM. As a result, I’ve made lasting, cost-effective changes that will impact my health for years to come.”
To review the complete research as published in JMIR Diabetes, please visit: https://bit.ly/4c8PSOl.
*Ongoing A/B testing among CCS customers demonstrates increases by as much as 50% in reorder authorizations.
About CCS
CCS is a leading chronic care management company, providing clinical solutions and home-delivered medical supplies for those living with chronic conditions, particularly diabetes. The company works specifically with health plans, providers, and employers to defragment the patient journey by combining all of the following into one seamless platform experience: medical devices, pharmaceuticals, and clinical education and coaching services. To holistically support individuals living with diabetes, CCS has advanced its AI-based machine learning and large language models to support the identification and timely engagement of high-risk members before serious adherence issues arise. CCS supports 200,000+ people living in the United States and delivers more than 1.2 million orders directly to their homes each year. After serving individuals for 30 years, CCS has the relationships, experience, and data in place to create a new era of home-based, proactive chronic care management. To learn more about CCS, please visit: CCSMed.com; LinkedIn.
