Brief Description: Requesting that certified diabetes educators be added as Medicare providers.

Sponsors: By Representatives Hinkle, Cody and Santos.

House Committee on Health Care
Senate Committee on Health & Long-Term Care

Background:

Diabetes is a disease in which blood sugar levels are elevated due to the pancreas' inability to make or properly use insulin. The two most common types of diabetes are type 1 diabetes (previously called "juvenile diabetes") which accounts for approximately 5-10 percent of all cases of diabetes and type 2 diabetes (previously called "adult onset diabetes") which comprises approximately 90-95 percent of all diabetes cases. Type 1 diabetes is a condition in which the pancreas is no longer able to produce insulin and primarily affects younger people. Type 2 diabetes is a condition in which the body cannot use insulin properly and may occur at any age. It occurs in people who are overweight or have risk factors such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure, family history, or certain ethnic backgrounds. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that over 20 million people in the United States have diabetes.

There are two companion measures, H.R.3612 and S.626, relating to diabetes educators pending before the U.S. Congress. Under these bills, titled the "Diabetes Self-Management Training Act of 2005," the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services may reimburse certified diabetes educators who provide diabetes outpatient self-management training services under Medicare. In addition, the Comptroller General of the United States must conduct a study to identify barriers to accessing diabetes self-management training, including economic and geographic barriers, as well as accessing qualified providers.

Summary:

Legislative findings are made expressing the prevalence of diabetes, the cost of diabetes, the benefits of chronic disease self-management plans for diabetes patients, the skills of certified diabetes educators, and the impact of the closure of diabetes education programs at hospitals.

The United States House of Representatives and United States Senate are requested to enact H.R. 3612 and S. 626 which relate to Medicare patients with diabetes and diabetes educators.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   98   0
Senate   45   0