In 2010, BeniComp Advantage launched their Predictive Health Management (PHM) division, which offers the analysis and coaching of participants biometric screening results by Registered Nurses, Dietitians, Nurse Practitioners and MD’s to further the awareness and prevention of future claim spend. In this recent case, an employee of a client in Indiana whose data BeniComp has acquired for almost 4 years completed the annual blood screening, yet this one was different. Upon receiving the results, BeniComp’s medical professionals were able to detect an elevated serum GGT level which is an enzyme found primarily in the liver. In high risk circumstances, this is an indicator of liver or bile duct disorder and/or heart disease. In this specific case, it meant a hepatitis C diagnosis.
An estimated 3.2 million people in the United States have chronic hepatitis C, a blood-borne virus that can cause liver failure, liver cancer, or even lead to death if left untreated. In February of 2014, BeniComp was able to pinpoint hepatitis C in one individual, and provide access to immediate intervention and treatment. While the 12 week treatment is almost completed, the prognosis is excellent and the participant’s new lease on life is priceless.
Hepatitis C is becoming more and more of a known diagnosis, and there have been many advances made in the search for a cure. One well known drug is called Sovaldi, and is actually the drug prescribed to our client’s employee. For people in a clinical trial for the new drugs daclatasvir and sofosbuvir (Sovaldi), hepatitis C cure rates were astonishingly high at 98 percent, even for the hardest to treat patients. Additionally, Sovaldi can treat patients in 12 weeks, while previous drug combinations took 24 or 48 weeks.
The key is prevention and early detection. Many potentially life threatening diagnoses (and pocketbook threatening too) have been thwarted by routine wellness screenings and predictive outreach. This is BeniComp’s modus operandi. And this method is what keeps claims controlled, trend suppressed and employees healthy.