Currently more than 133 million Americans (45%) have at least one chronic disease, and seven out of every 10 deaths in the U.S. are attributed to chronic diseases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Chronic diseases and their impact on both direct and indirect costs have caught the attention of employers.

The Hewitt trends bulletin linked to below provides an overview of chronic diseases and takes a focused look at one particular chronic disease, diabetes. It explores diabetes trends, costs, prevention and treatment, and how employers and health plans are targeting diabetes.

For additional information on legislative trends related to diabetes, see Hewitt's bulletin, "Trends in Federal and State Diabetes Legislation."