Preventing Diabetes in Medicare Act of 2017 H.R.
3124
Background Information:
The Preventing Diabetes in Medicare Act will
allow Medicare to reimburse Registered Dietitian
Nutritionist’s (RDNs) for the provision of medical
nutrition therapy to patients at risk for diabetes
or prediabetes, in addition to patients with type
2 diabetes and renal disease. The act will also
increase the accessibility of preventative MNT
services and diabetes risk assessments
administered by Registered Dietitians. The total
amount of money spent on diabetes in 2012 was
estimated to be $377 billion. By allowing RDNs to
receive reimbursement for treatment, it is
believed that money spent on diabetes will
decrease, due to the nature of preventative care.
Statistics from the CDC also show that there are
86,000,000 adults with prediabetes in the US,
and in 2008, 1 in 5 hospitalizations were
associated with diabetes. Thus, preventing
diabetes will save money. While the Medicare
program covers screening for diabetes, it does
not cover services to help prevent diabetes.
Given that type 2 diabetes is preventable
through lifestyle changes, the implementation of
this act is critical.
Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics:
In a letter to representative DeGette and Jenkins,
the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics
encourages that, “If current trends in diabetes
prevalence and cost continue, passage and
enactment of H.R. 3124 could make a significant
difference in altering the human and economic
toll of diabetes.” In response Congresswoman
DeGette stated, “Already, one out of every three
dollars of Medicare spending goes toward
diabetes treatment, and when you combine
direct medical expenses and other factors,
diabetes costs the U.S. $245 billion per year. For
all of these reasons, it’s important that we in
Congress take steps to increase support for
diabetes research and treatment.” The trend line
pictured on the right shows that the percentage
Scan for References:
of diabetes covered by Medicare will decrease
after the benchmark year of 2015.
Ajee’lon Boyd, Shaun Hui, Lauren Nickerson, & Brenna Robinson
This graph outlines the percent distribution of diabetes expenses covered by
Medicare, beginning in 2010. We estimate in 2020, the percentage of diabetes
expenses covered by Medicare will be reduced. It is evident that the cost of
diabetes treatment covered by Medicare will increase over the next few years,
but policy change can offset this increase.
Impact on the RDN:
To effectively prevent or manage diabetes,
people with prediabetes or diabetes should
understand how food and nutrition affects
their bodies. Dietitians can provide
individualized information about how to eat
and practical tips to address daily challenges. A
dietitian can also help them develop a daily
meal plan that would consider individual food
preferences, level of physical activity and
lifestyle, and will work with patients who are at
risk for diabetes to set nutrition goals to
improve their health. Reimbursement by
Medicare for providing preventative lifestyle
changes to these clients would decrease the
amount of patients being diagnosed with
diabetes, and the total dollars spent on
diabetes as a nation. By providing information
and education to the patient, registered
dietitians could prevent the patient from being
diagnosed with diabetes.
Impact on the Public:
If passed, the act would make a significant
impact on the lives of those who are
prediabetic. It can possibly change the current
trends for the prevalence of diabetes in the
future. There have been research studies
conducted that show the effectiveness of
diabetes prevention programs. If more people
were able to participate in Diabetes
Prevention Programs without fear of having to
pay out of pocket for the services, there would
be a decrease in the prevalence of diabetes
and patients would have more tools to help
them better manage the condition if and when
diagnosed.
The financial support from Medicare for
Diabetes Prevention Programs and Medical
Nutrition Services will be more cost effective
in the long run for the nation. By providing
assistance to patients for diabetes health care
services, there will be an overall decrease in
the diagnosis of diabetes. This would lead to a
decrease in the need and cost of medicine and
other tools used to manage diabetes.