November 5, 2007
November is American Diabetes Month
Diabetes continues to be a prevalent health concern in the United States. Approximately 20.8 million Americans, or 7.0% of the population, have diabetes. Of these, 10.3 million people are age 60 and over. Left undiagnosed, diabetes can lead to serious complications such as heart disease, stroke, blindness, kidney damage, lower-limb amputations and premature death. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) reminds health care professionals that Medicare provides coverage of diabetes screening tests for beneficiaries at risk for diabetes or those diagnosed with pre-diabetes.
Covered diabetes screening tests include the following:
- A fasting blood glucose test, and
- A post-glucose challenge test (an oral glucose tolerance test with a glucose challenge of 75 grams of glucose for non-pregnant adults), or
- A 2-hour post-glucose challenge test alone.
We Need Your Help!
CMS needs your help to ensure that people with Medicare are assessed for and informed about their risk factors for diabetes or pre-diabetes, and that those who are eligible take advantage of the diabetes screening tests.
In addition to providing coverage for diabetes screenings, Medicare also provides coverage for a variety of preventive care and other services for people with diabetes, such as the initial preventive physical examination (must be received within the first six months of the beneficiary's initial Medicare Part B coverage period), cardiovascular screening blood tests, diabetes self-management training, medical nutrition therapy, diabetes supplies, glaucoma screening, and influenza and pneumococcal immunizations. These services can help beneficiaries manage the disease and lower the risk of complications. Talk with your Medicare patients about the preventive services that are right for them and encourage utilization by providing referrals for appropriate services for which they may be eligible. Working together, we can help people with diabetes take steps to reduce the occurrence of serious complications through early detection and treatment, controlling the levels of blood glucose, blood pressure, and blood lipids, life style modifications (diet and exercise), and by receiving other preventive care practices as appropriate.
For More Information
- For more information about Medicare's coverage of diabetes screening services, initial preventive physical examination, cardiovascular screening blood tests, diabetes self management training, medical nutrition therapy, diabetes supplies, influenza and pneumococcal immunizations, and glaucoma screening services, including coverage, coding, billing, and reimbursement guidelines, please visit the CMS Medicare Learning Network (MLN) Preventive Services Educational Products web page http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp
- For literature to share with your Medicare patients, please visit http://www.medicare.gov
- For more information about American Diabetes Month, please visit http://www.diabetes.org/communityprograms-and-localevents/americandiabetesmonth.jsp
Thank you for partnering with CMS during American Diabetes Month as we strive to make sure that people with Medicare learn more about diabetes and their risk factors for the disease and that they take full advantage of the diabetes screening tests and other Medicare-covered preventive services for which they may be eligible.
November Flu Shot Reminder
"Flu season is here! Medicare patients give many reasons for not getting their annual flu shot, including-"It causes the flu"; "I don't need it"; "It has side effects"; "It's not effective"; "I didn't think about it"; "I don't like needles!" The fact is that every year in the United States, on average, about 36,000 people die from influenza. Greater than 90 percent of these deaths occur in individuals 65 years of age and older. You can help your Medicare patients overcome these odds and their personal barriers through patient education. Talk with your Medicare patients about the importance of getting their annual flu shot--and don't forget to immunize yourself and your staff. Protect yourself, your patients, and your family and friends. Get Your Flu Shot - Not the Flu. Remember - Influenza vaccination is a covered Part B benefit but the influenza vaccine is NOT a Part D covered drug. For more information about Medicare's coverage of flu vaccine and its administration as well as related educational resources for health care professions, please go to http://www.cms.hhs.gov/MLNProducts/Downloads/flu_products.pdf on the CMS website."
