States have taken several steps to ensure that diabetes patients are appropriately managed by private and public insurers alike. Forty-six states require insurers to have some sort of coverage for diabetes management. Typically this coverage includes direct treatment, as well as diabetes equipment and supplies. The National Conference of State Legislatures has put together an interactive map to highlight private insurance mandates, public insurance coverage, and state-based public prevention programs. The map and associated tables can be accessed at http://tiny.cc/ncsl. The site also includes related legislation and links to state laws and regulations.
Looking for diabetes prevention and control programs in your state? The Centers for Disease Control has a list of links to state programs that can be accessed at http://tiny.cc/cdc249.
Want to know how much diabetes is costing your state? The American Diabetes Association can tell you at http://tiny.cc/statecost.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services included diabetes prevention for the Quality Improvement Organization’s (QIO) 9th Statement of Work. QIOs work on a state level to improve health care services delivered to Medicare beneficiaries. Five states or jurisdictions were chosen to participate in the “Every Diabetic Counts” Program, an initiative to reduce health disparities among diabetes patients through diabetes self-management education: the District of Columbia, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, and New York. QIOs in these states are responsible for monitoring statewide diabetes rates and education efforts, and must submit the number of patients who complete self-management training on a monthly basis. To follow the progress of these and other Medicare Quality Improvement state initiatives, check out: www.cms.hhs.gov/qualityimprovementorgs/. To view and download the “Every Diabetic Counts” toolkit, visit http://tiny.cc/EDC.
Read a copy of the society’s remarks at ASN’s website at http://www.asn-online.org/policy_and_public_affairs/patient-care.aspx.
