At a meeting sponsored by the National Council on Aging (NCOA) and the Medicare Diabetes Screening Project (MDSP), former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle, experts in diabetes research and education, and representatives of senior-serving organizations from a four-state area gathered in Washington, DC to draw attention to the need for increased screening for diabetes among older adults ages 65 and older insured by Medicare.
“Diabetes is a major health threat for seniors and a driver in escalating Medicare costs,” said Daschle. “Screening and early diagnosis are critical to managing diabetes effectively and to prevent the onset of the disease for those at risk. And yet, less than 10 percent of Medicare beneficiaries are screened annually for diabetes, even though Medicare offers a free diabetes screening benefit. We have to do better.”
“When diabetes is undiagnosed and untreated, it can be devastating, and new government statistics show that older adults are especially vulnerable,” said Nancy Whitelaw, Senior Vice President and Director, Center for Healthy Aging of NCOA. “That’s why it is crucial that we create awareness of the benefits that Medicare offers for diabetes screening, and coach our seniors to ask their health care providers about being tested for diabetes, and if diagnosed, take up ways to improve their self-management of this dangerous disease.”
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