NEW YORK, Sept. 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Group Health Incorporated (GHI), a statewide not-for-profit health insurer in New York, recently launched a new diabetes management initiative for qualified diabetic GHI members. The GHI Diabetes Health Bingo program was designed to encourage diabetic members to take a more active role in their diabetes and open the lines of communication between doctor and member. According to the American Diabetes Association, more than 18.2 million people in the United States have diabetes, including 5.2 million people who are undiagnosed.
GHI Diabetes Health Bingo is a user-friendly “bingo-style” game that encourages members with an elevated A1C test* to manage their diabetes. Each participant received a GHI Diabetes Health Bingo card and an instruction sheet in the mail. The bingo card contains 24 numbered spaces with important steps to manage and promote healthy living with diabetes. The back of the card explains why and how each step is important for good health such as having an annual doctors visit, eating 5 servings of fruits and vegetables daily, exercising three times a week, and having a hemoglobin A1C test. The completed Bingo card, along with a doctor’s sign off, is then mailed back to GHI and members receive a $20 American Express Certificate for participating.
“The goal of the Diabetes Health Bingo program is to provide our diabetic members with information and tools they can use to improve their health,” said Dr. Aran Ron, Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Officer for GHI. “By arming our members with knowledge and encouraging involvement in their own care, we can enhance the quality of life for people with chronic conditions such as diabetes.”
GHI is reviewing the completed Bingo cards and will analyze the results throughout the program. The GHI Health Diabetes program will continue through March 2005.
Diabetic GHI members can also elect to participate in the GHI Health Solutions program, a free educational program designed to help improve diabetes self-management skills.
About GHI:
GHI is a statewide not-for-profit health insurer serving New Yorkers since 1937. GHI and its wholly-owned subsidiary, GHI HMO, provide health insurance and administrative services to more than 2.6 million people. GHI offers customers a variety of medical, hospital, dental, prescription drug and vision options as well as administrative-services-only arrangements.
* Hemoglobin A1c is a blood test that measures blood glucose levels over a two-month period and is considered the standard for assessing blood sugar control.
Group Health Incorporated
CONTACT: Michael Woloz of Connelly and McLaughlin, +1-212-437-7373, forGHI; or Ilene Margolin of GHI, +1-212-615-0098
