UnitedHealth Group joined the YMCA of Metropolitan Washington for a YMCA Community Forum to launch the Diabetes Prevention and Control Alliance (DPCA) programs in the greater Washington, D.C. area. The event, which took place on November 16 at YMCA National Capital, marked the expansion of the DPCA’s two signature programs—the Diabetes Prevention Program and the Diabetes Control Program—and represents a unique public-private partnership that strives to tackle type 2 diabetes and prediabetes by reaching individuals in their communities. Dr. Ann Albright, CDC Director for the Division of Diabetes Translation, and Mary Merritt, Executive Director of the American Diabetes Association, took part in the panel discussion. 

The incidence of type 2 diabetes in the greater D.C. area strongly supports the need for these types of programs. The D.C. Department of Health estimates that diabetes costs the District nearly $300 million annually. In Maryland, 9.4 percent of the adult population has diabetes, according to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene. In addition, in Virginia, 8.7 percent of the adult population has reportedly been diagnosed with diabetes.

The DPCA was launched in 2010 through a partnership with UnitedHealth Group, YMCA of the USA, and retail pharmacies. The Alliance marks the first time in the United States that a health plan is paying for evidence-based diabetes prevention and engaging pharmacists to support critical diabetes management programs. DPCA programs are available now in 46 markets in 24 states and will continue to roll out across the country in 2012.