New Medicare Perk for Diabetes Prevention Stumbles at Rollout

The Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program launched on April 1 seeks to prevent seniors and other disabled individuals from developing Type 2 diabetes, but experts say the program's road has been rough so far, reports the Washington Post . They note the program is currently up and running at only few sites, and finding out where it is available is problematic. The program is freely available to older adults and disabled people with Medicare Part B coverage who have prediabetes. Community organizations such as YMCAs and senior centers will supervise the program instead of doctors and hospitals, but many locations are grappling with Medicare's contracting mandates and are reticent to take on burdensome administration, says Brenda Schmidt with the Council for Diabetes Prevention. Although Medicare Advantage plans are now obligatory for offering the program to beneficiaries, they are not doing active outreach due to a lack of program sites. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Ann Albright says patience should be exercised, as building an infrastructure of community organizations to deliver these services "hasn't been done before." Meanwhile, a Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services spokesperson says approximately 50 of more than 400 eligible programs are currently submitting applications, while an online resource identifying approved programs is being developed and outreach to Medicare beneficiaries is "planned for the coming months."