Advancing Diabetes-Related Equity Through Diabetes Self-Management Education and Training: Existing Coverage Requirements and Considerations for Increased Participation.

America is in the grips of a diabetes epidemic. Underserved communities disproportionately bear the burden of diabetes and associated harms. Diabetes self-management education and training (DSME/T) may help address the epidemic. By empowering patients to manage their diabetes, DSME/T improves health outcomes and reduces medical expenditures. However, participation in DSME/T remains low. Insurance coverage offers 1 approach for increasing participation in DSME/T. The impact of DSME/T insurance coverage on advancing diabetes-related health equity depends on which types of insurers must cover DSME/T and the characteristics of such coverage. We conducted a legal survey of DSME/T coverage requirements for private insurers, Medicaid programs, and Medicare, finding that substantial differences exist. Although 43 states require that private insurers cover DSME/T, only 30 states require such coverage for most or all Medicaid beneficiaries. Public health professionals and decision makers may find this analysis helpful in understanding and evaluating patterns and gaps in DSME/T coverage.

Aging, diabetes, and the public health system in the United States.

Diabetes (diagnosed or undiagnosed) affects 10.9 million US adults aged 65 years and older. Almost 8 in 10 have some form of dysglycemia, according to tests for fasting glucose or hemoglobin A1c. Among this age group, diagnosed diabetes is projected to reach 26.7 million by 2050, or 55% of all diabetes cases. In 2007, older adults accounted for $64.8 billion (56%) of direct diabetes medical costs, $41.1 billion for institutional care alone. Complications, comorbid conditions, and geriatric syndromes affect diabetes care, and medical guidelines for treating older adults with diabetes are limited. Broad public health programs help, but effective, targeted interventions and expanded surveillance and research and better policies are needed to address the rapidly growing diabetes burden among older adults.

Aging Americans and diabetes. A public health and clinical response.

Aging Americans experience normal age-related physiological changes and an increased burden of diabetes. Responding to the burden of diabetes will require a public health and clinical response. This article discusses how the Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) translates scientific findings into public health practice and introduces a 4-article series written by DDT and external partners that provides an overview of diabetes treatment guidelines among the aging; the role of psychosocial processes in diabetes management; implementation of diabetes treatment guidelines; and Identifying resources for patient education.