Commonsense, Local Solutions Tackle Chronic Conditions and Improve Outcomes

Annual Affordability Report spotlights the ways nonprofit health plans are improving health and lowering costs by addressing chronic diseases

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Chronic conditions are the leading cause of death in the U.S. and account for 90 percent of national health care spending. A new report from the Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) demonstrates that commonsense programs, rooted in local communities, can address the underlying causes of chronic disease and prevent costly, late-stage care. It recommends expanding these innovative strategies nationwide, including the use of wearable technologies, through collaboration with policymakers and the Make America Healthy Again Commission to drive private sector innovation.

"Our members are unique – particularly in their approaches to rooting out the drivers of chronic disease and making care more affordable," said ACHP President and CEO Ceci Connolly. "By investing in these smart initiatives and programs, ACHP members are leading the charge in improving lives and making health care more affordable for everyone. This year's report goes further and identifies commonsense policy recommendations to truly improve America's health."

The 2025 Report on Affordability in Health Care finds that as nonprofit plans invest in the communities they serve, they meaningfully slow the progression of major chronic conditions, including diabetes, hypertension and childhood obesity, often outperforming the rest of the industry. Additionally, since the launch of ACHP's Chronic Disease Pledge, members have reported measurable improvements in glucose levels, blood sugar control and patient satisfaction.

Highlights from the 2025 Report on Affordability include:

• Priority Health's diabetes management program lowered patients' A1c levels by 1.15-1.4 percent in one year.
• Select Health offered blood pressure cuffs to patients, more than tripling the number of individuals with controlled hypertension in only six months.
• Aspire Health's "Healthy Together" program achieved a 13 percent increase in knowledge about prediabetes and prevention programs, leading to significant weight loss and body-mass index reductions.
• HAP's increased continuous glucose monitoring device use by 80 percent, reducing costly diabetes complications.

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices have been shown to decrease monthly diabetes-related costs by more than $400 per patient. ACHP and its members are committed to expanding access to this technology and its capacity to improve lives and generate savings.

Read the 2025 Report on Affordability in Health Care here.

This is the fifth annual release of the Report on Affordability in Health Care following a commitment set by ACHP's board of directors via Health Care 2030: ACHP's Roadmap to Reform to map out nonpartisan, practical changes for immediate and long-lasting improvement to the health care system. 

About ACHP 
The Alliance of Community Health Plans (ACHP) represents the nation's best local, nonprofit health plans, providing high-quality coverage to tens of millions of Americans in 40 states and D.C. ACHP is the only national organization advancing a unique partnership model of coverage and care that fosters a truly competitive market.

We believe Americans deserve the best health care in the world. Our members are on the ground in your communities, delivering innovative and competitive coverage. ACHP's model brings together clinicians and health plans to deliver value for patients, employers and taxpayers.

SOURCE Alliance of Community Health Plans