DAA activities in support of diabetes prevention include:

• Advocating for funding for the CDC’s Division of Diabetes Translation
• Advocating with CDC officials for improvements to its National Diabetes Prevention Program  (National DPP) and with CMS officials for improvements to its Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP)
• Advocating with the National Quality Forum for the establishment of quality measures for diabetes prevention
• Informing and educating Congressional representatives and staff members about what Congress could do to  help increase National DPP and MDPP program participation rates and make it easier and more economically  viable for organizations to apply and remain as prevention program suppliers.

Prevention or delay of onset of type 2 diabetes was proven in the landmark National Institutes of Health Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) clinical trial, which concluded in 2001. Since then, translational research has been conducted, demonstrating that results like those seen in the clinical trial could be achieved by community-based organizations offering in-person lifestyle change prevention programs and by companies offering fully virtual programs. To scale diabetes prevention program offerings and to ensure that program suppliers follow the evidence-based lifestyle change protocol, the CDC established the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) and the Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program. Currently, the CMS Innovation Center is conducting a test of diabetes prevention for Medicare beneficiaries via the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Expanded Model.

Legislation

Some DAA members are advocating for passage of the PREVENT DIABETES Act of 2021 (S. 2173; H.R. 2807), which would allow CDC-recognized National DPP suppliers of virtual-only programs to apply to become MDPP suppliers. DAA members are working to increase Senate and House member support for passage of this important health equity-related legislation so that people in rural and underserved metropolitan areas could access evidence-based diabetes prevention programs through their digital connections.

CDC recognizes the quality and health outcomes of many types of diabetes prevention programs, including “brick & mortar” programs offered in person at community-based locations, fully virtual programs that use “live” interactions with coaches and pre-recorded videos, and programs offering a hybrid approach. However, CMS’s MDPP expanded model test only allows brick & mortar programs to apply to become program suppliers and serve Medicare beneficiaries.

As of March 2021, CMS reported only 2,200 beneficiaries had used the MDPP benefit since its launch in 2018, and some states, like Alabama, have zero MDPPs. In contrast, in that same period, CDC recognized programs, including virtual and video based, have served an estimated 10,000 people over age 65 (in addition to the tens of thousands of adults younger than 65 with prediabetes).

Congressional sponsors:

• S. 2173; Sponsors: Scott (R-SC), Warner (D-VA)
• H.R. 2807; Sponsors: Rice (R-SC), DeGette (D-CO), Reed (R-NY), Butterfield (D-NC)

To co-sponsor, please contact:

• Rep. Tom Rice: Philippa Bradley ([email protected])
• Rep. Diana DeGette: Arden Parker ([email protected])
• Sen. Tim Scott: Shayne Woods ([email protected])
• Sen. Mark Warner: Greg Mathis ([email protected])