For Crystal Pierre, a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes last year was motivation to change her habits and
"I had gestational diabetes with my two youngest children, who are 2 and 5, so I had some risk factors," says Pierre, who works remotely from Florida as a leave administrator for Dayforce, a human capital management platform. "I went through weight loss on my own and was successfully doing it, but I wasn't seeing my numbers go down. I could look at my blood sugar after a meal, but that might not be accurate, because I was eating pretty healthy but then I could have a spike at 4 a.m."
The inconsistency prompted her to join Twin Health three months ago, which Dayforce brought on as an
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The health platform focuses on helping members understand and stabilize their metabolism, leading to weight loss, a healthier lifestyle and the eventual
With a member's information, the platform's AI technology creates a "digital twin" of their metabolism, allowing it to make personalized, real-time recommendations. The monitor that continuously measures blood sugar has been extremely effective in helping Pierre maintain awareness of, and subsequently improve, her numbers.
There is also a professional health team assigned to each patient that can communicate with their other providers, applying a holistic level of care. Members are educated on all areas of health, including nutrition, sleep and exercise.
"I've definitely seen quite an improvement as well as some weight loss, too," she says. "And if you have an immediate need, you can message [your coach]. I was a little under the weather this past week, and I was able to ask them, 'What can I take? I know those things can affect blood sugar,' and they responded to me right away and provided me with the list. It's very nice to have the app and I like when I'm able to meet with the coaches as well, because I do like a little bit of personal touch."
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Nearly 40 million people in the U.S. have diabetes, almost 100 million are prediabetic, and approximately 42% are obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control. These and other chronic metabolic conditions lead to increased risk of heart disease, stroke and kidney disease, among other issues. The National Institutes of Health puts the annual cost of diabetes care plus indirect impact, such as absenteeism from work, at $412.9 billion.
While there is no cure for diabetes, it can be put into remission: A Twin Health trial found that 73% of their members achieved remission after 12 months in the program. An overall shift in health and wellness versus dependency on medication not only changes the lives of participants, it also alleviates a heavy financial burden for employers, whose coverage of weight loss drugs alone can cost over $1,000 per month per employee, according to GoodRx — a number that is only expected to rise.
"When we can improve the health of our employees and get them off high-cost medications, and improve clinical numbers and data, we can help drive employers' bottom-line impact," says Dr. Lisa Shah, chief medical officer at Twin Health. "We can reduce their healthcare costs, but overall, have their employees healthier, happier, more productive and appreciative toward their employer for investing in their health long-term. And there's no cost up front; [employers] pay Twin based on clinical outcome and member satisfaction."
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While economics did play a role in adding Twin Health to their benefit offerings, it was also about equipping employees with a resource that teaches them how to take better care of themselves, says Tom Armani, Dayforce's global benefits director. The company has stopped its coverage of GLP-1s for employees who do not have a diabetes diagnosis, letting those on the medications because of their BMI receive refills through the end of the year if they are also enrolled in Twin Health. Like Pierre, he has found Twin's combination of AI and compassionate care very effective.
"The challenge is, how do you implement change in a way that helps people stay engaged and motivated so that they'll continue their weight management journey," Armani says. "You're balancing between being an employee advocate and trying to offer a robust overall benefits package that increases your employer value, but also helps people to become better benefits decision makers and actively manage their health."
Dayforce's investment in a solution that teaches and wholly supports healthy lifestyle changes stands out to Pierre, and is extra motivation to stay with the company, she says.
"It speaks volumes," says Pierre. "It says that they care about my health, my longevity, my dependents, and as far as loyalty, I want to continue with them."
