How Level2 helps members like Deirdre work to improve type 2 diabetes

When Deirdre Mebane was first diagnosed with type 2 diabetes, she was upset and overwhelmed. Her doctor told her she should expect to live with the disease for the rest of her life. She is among the 1.2 million Americans diagnosed with diabetes each year.

Coping with her diagnosis was a challenge, she admits. She said exercise was not part of her routine and not something she wanted to do. She needed help to work towards improving her diabetes. She found UnitedHealthcare’s Level2 program.

“I was tired, fatigued all the time,” Deirdre said. “So when I joined Level2 and I started hearing information about remission, I was like, wait, you can actually get rid of type 2 diabetes and not have it for the rest of your life? Game changer to me.”¹

Connecting with Level2 made all the difference for Deirdre, a UnitedHealthcare member, as she worked to navigate her new health journey.

Level2 is a value-based care solution that combines wearable technology with customized clinical support, with the goal of improving the average blood glucose and health of people living with type 2 diabetes. Eligible participants are equipped with:

• Glucose insights: Members start with a no-cost continuous glucose monitor (CGM). This wearable device helps them better see and understand their glucose and can begin to work with their Level2 team to make health improvements.
• Level2 care team: Members get access to a virtual care team of type 2 diabetes experts. The team of doctors, nurses, coaches and registered dietitians helps members understand their glucose, build new habits and work toward feeling better.
• Level2 method: Members work through a defined process to understand and improve glucose control with phase-by-phase lessons and activities to help them reach their next target.

Level2 can provide personalized steps for people to improve their glucose levels — like what to eat and when, along with simple activity suggestions to help move their body and keep their blood sugars in a steady, healthy range.

In a study recently showcased at the 2024 American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions, 73% of UnitedHealthcare members enrolled in Level2 with a starting hemoglobin A1C above 7.0 had a clinically meaningful improvement in this measurement. Among members included in the study, the average reduction in A1C was 1.39 percentage points after one year and 1.36 at two years, demonstrating that Level2 can lead to sustained, lower glucose levels among participants.²

Deirdre said having Level2 for support has been life-changing for her.

“When I first started Level2, my A1C was a 10 and my blood sugar when I first got diagnosed was 278. Today my A1C now is 6.6. I’ve lost 31 pounds, and my blood sugars will run now anywhere from like 90-160,” she said.

Deirdre said she feels better overall because of simple lifestyle changes Level2 has helped her make.

“The difference in how I feel today, the energy level, all the weight that I have lost,” Deirdre said, “it’s just been so exciting.”

Level2 aims to center the care experience around eligible members with type 2 diabetes, while offering employers a tool that can help bend the cost curve of covering these employees.

Eligible employers with UnitedHealthcare self-funded plans nationwide have the ability to add the Level2 Assured Value Program, which aims to give employers a financial solution that assures the employers realize value from their program fees. Learn about the Level2 Assured Value Program.