Date: November 2, 2021
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Office of Minority Health (CMS OMH) is recognizing National Diabetes Awareness Month in November. There are three main types of diabetes – type 1, type 2, and gestational diabetes (diabetes while pregnant). Type 2 diabetes is the most prevalent form of diabetes with about 90-95% of the estimated 34 million people living with diabetes having type 2 diabetes. There are also an additional 88 million Americans with prediabetes.
As incidences of new diabetes cases have become more prevalent among non-Hispanic Blacks coupled with existing cases being highest among American Indian and Alaska Native people, it is important to highlight and address health disparities in diabetes impacting minority populations. Factors including lack of access to healthcare, quality of care received, and socioeconomic status have disproportionately affected racial and ethnic minority populations in both the prevalence of this disease and health outcomes.
Recognizing National Diabetes Month is part of CMS’ ongoing strategy to share resources and initiatives that aim to improve access to healthcare services and improve health equity. Below are several resources that healthcare professionals can use to help their patients manage their diabetes.
Resources
- Review CMS’ newly released data snapshot, Diabetes Disparities in Medicare Fee-for-Service Beneficiaries, that examines disparities in quality of diabetes care and preventable utilization of healthcare services by race, ethnicity, and social determinants of health factors for Medicare fee-for-service beneficiaries with type 1 or type 2 diabetes.
- Download Managing Diabetes: Medicare Coverage and Resources to help patients with managing their diabetes and health coverage. This resource is also available in Spanish.
- Just updated! Review Diabetes Prevention Programs: Equity Tailored Resources which identifies resources for providers and care teams focusing on prevention and evidence-based lifestyle intervention.
- Familiarize yourself with the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program: Click here for provider information or visit this site for Medicare beneficiaries.
- Read CMS OMH’s Diabetes Management: Directory of Provider Resources which identifies resources on the management of type 2 diabetes that could be useful for providers and care teams.
- Read the CDC’s Chronic Kidney Disease in the United States, 2021, a fact sheet on Chronic Kidney Disease, which affects 15% of American adults. This resource is also available in Spanish.
- Download the Connected Care Toolkit, a chronic care management (CCM) resource that contains educational materials to raise awareness about the importance of CCM services for Medicare and dual-eligible patients with multiple conditions.
- Watch Connecting the Dots, an animated video that provides CCM services information for Medicare patients living with multiple chronic conditions.
- Read CMS OMH’s Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Diabetes Prevalence, Self-Management, and Health Outcomes among Medicare Beneficiaries, which examines the prevalence of diabetes among Medicare beneficiaries based on a variety of factors such as race and ethnicity.
CMS has a “Insulin Savings” filter on Medicare Plan Finder to display plans that will offer the capped out-of-pocket costs for insulin. Click here to learn more.