An Educational Program About Medicare's Benefits for
Diabetes Screening
By Richard Shank
Medicare has offered diabetes screenings since 2005; however, the use of this benefit has been minimal. "Diabetes Screening: Medicare Benefits for Better Health" works through organizations that serve older adults, encouraging them to educate their constituents. This outreach effort provides information about Medicare benefits related to diabetes screening. The National Council on Aging (NCOA) partnered with the Medicare Diabetes Screening Project to launch the program.
For people age 65 and older who have at least one risk factor for diabetes, Medicare provides free diabetes screening tests with no deductible or co-pay. If the older adult is diagnosed with pre-diabetes, they are provided a free follow-up screening after six months.
Experts believe that diabetes screenings are not utilized enough by older adults. Epidemiologists estimate that 32% of people age 65 and older have diabetes and that nearly half of these people do not know that they have it. Furthermore, an additional 40% of adults age 65 and older can be classified as pre-diabetic, but most are unaware of their status.
For more information, visit http://www.screenfordiabetes.org.
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