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) Expanded Model
• 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 and sets standards for CDC recognition of such programs. 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 2025 (H.R. 1523), introduced on February 24, 2025. This bill would allow CDC-recognized National DPP suppliers of virtual-only programs to apply to become MDPP suppliers. Several DAA members are working to increase Senate and House member support for passage of this important legislation so that people in rural and metropolitan areas who have limited or no nearby brick-and-mortar locations could access evidence-based diabetes prevention programs through their digital connections.