Nearly half of Americans 65 or older have prediabetes, but effective and early identification and management of prediabetes can help prevent the progression to type 2 diabetes and improve patient outcomes. Fittingly, this year’s World Diabetes Day, on Nov. 14, has early diagnosis and risk detection as the focus of its campaign.
Following advocacy from the AMA (PDF) and others, Medicare has made important changes to its Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) to reach more Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries than ever, particularly those in rural and underserved areas. There’s no better time to share that information with your patients.
The (MDPP) spans 16 weekly sessions over a six-month period. In the sessions, your patients will get:
- Training to make realistic, lasting behavior changes around diet and exercise.
- Tips for getting more exercise.
- Strategies to control their weight.
- A specially trained coach to help keep them motivated.
- Support from people with similar goals and challenges.
- Six monthly follow-up sessions to help you maintain healthy habits.
The program is offered to Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries at no cost if they qualify.
To qualify, patients need to meet certain criteria, including a blood-glucose test. Thanks to a 2024 change that covers nonfasting A1c tests for diabetes and prediabetes screening purposes, this is now easier than ever. For patients at risk, Medicare will cover up to two screenings per year.
Patients can take part in MDPP sessions that are conducted in person, live online, prerecorded or whatever combination best suits their schedule. An important change earlier this year expanded the number of virtual MDPP providers, so Medicare patients have more options than ever to choose from. This fall, CMS updated its MDPP provider-search tool, where patients can search by ZIP code for in-person, distance learning, or self-paced MDPP options available in their area. At Medicare’s MDPP webpage, scroll down and look for the “Find providers” search box.
Another important change that took effect this year: there is now no longer a limit on the number of times a beneficiary can qualify for the program. So beneficiaries can now qualify even if they’ve tried the program before.
The AMA has prepared a flier about MDPP (PDF) and who’s eligible that physicians can share with patients. It includes QR codes and telephone information for patients to learn more about how to take advantage of this preventive health Medicare benefit. The flier also includes important information about diabetes risk factors, including high blood pressure, obesity, being 65 or older, and family history.
Overall, about nine in 10 patients with prediabetes don’t know they have it. Learn more about AMA MAP™ Prediabetes Solutions, which help healthcare organizations adopt and execute strategies to prevent type 2 diabetes. This collection of evidence-based resources is designed to support health care team members in implementing and optimizing diabetes prevention strategies within their organizations.
