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Senior Citizen Politics
U.S. Spends $80 Billion Fighting Diabetes: 1 of
Every 8 Federal Health Care Dollars
Study finds need for better coordination to improve
results fighting major chronic disease for senior citizens
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Click chart for larger
view showing chronic disease among seniors and rank of diabetes. |
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June 23, 2007 – One of every eight dollars the U.S.
government spends on health care is spent on treating people – primarily
senior citizens – with diabetes. This study was presented on Tuesday at
a Capitol Hill briefing by the National Changing Diabetes Program and
the Congressional Diabetes Caucus in an effort to increase the viability
and the government coordination of the fight against this disease.
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Since 1980, the number of Americans suffering from
diabetes has doubled to more than 20 million, and that number is
projected to double again by 2025. About one of every five senior
citizens has diabetes, although it is claimed that many cases have gone
undiagnosed. Among chronic diseases for senior citizens, it ranks below
hypertension, arthritis, heart disease and cancer.
The study by Mathematica Policy Research, based on
federal spending data from FY 2005, is the first to look at all
federally-funded programs that have an impact on diabetes prevention and
treatment, according to the NCDP.
The study found that it costs the federal
government nearly $80 billion ($79.7) more to treat people with diabetes
than those without the disease. This represents 12 percent of $645
billion in total federal health care spending, the official total for
federal health care spending projected that year.
Virtually every department in the federal
government—18 out of 21—has some level of spending that impacts
diabetes, however, the study found a serious lack of coordination across
the various agencies and programs.
“We are spending as much on diabetes as we are on
the entire Department of Education, but no one is leading the effort.
The staggering cost of treating diabetes and the number of
diabetes-related programs highlight a need for a National Changing
Diabetes Coordinator to ensure results,” said Dana Haza, senior director
of the National Changing Diabetes Program (NCDP).
NCDP was created and funded by Novo Nordisk, a
leading company in diabetes health care products, to mobilize the nation
to improve diabetes prevention and treatment.
Diabetes has serious complications that are largely
preventable with proper management and treatment. They include heart
disease, high blood pressure, stroke, blindness, amputation and renal
disease.
Prevention efforts such as proper nutrition and
physical activity are most effective with type 2 diabetes, the most
common form of diabetes.
According to the study findings, the government
spends $4 billion on disease prevention and health promotion programs
that could help prevent diabetes, only one twentieth the amount spent on
treatment.
“Our findings suggest that there are many missed
opportunities for the federal government to enhance its impact on
diabetes prevention, detection, treatment and management of
complications,” said Mathematica Policy Research Inc.’s Marsha Gold, who
led the research team.
As part of their efforts to enhance
interdepartmental coordination, diabetes advocates are calling on
Congress and President Bush to explore, in consultation with the
diabetes health care community, the need for establishing a National
Changing Diabetes Coordinator to provide federal leadership in aligning
efforts across all federal agencies with diabetes related
responsibility. Consideration should also be given to strengthening
existing committees for example, the Diabetes Mellitus Interagency
Coordinating Committee.
“Coordinating America’s response to diabetes should
be mandatory,” said Lana Vukovljak, CEO, American Association of
Diabetes Educators (AADE), who presented recommendations from diabetes
advocates in response to the study.
“Over the next 30 years, diabetes is expected to
claim the lives of 62 million Americans. Surely this health crisis
warrants the appointment of a manager charged with aligning budgets and
programs for diabetes at the federal-level.”
“These recommendations should serve as a wake up
call for Congress to act,” said Congressional Diabetes Caucus Co-Chair,
Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO). “The National Changing Diabetes Program
shines a spotlight on diabetes prevention and management. Too many
people face the challenge of managing this disease daily, and I look
forward to coordinating our federal diabetes efforts."
Diabetes Caucus Co-Chair, Rep. Michael N. Castle
(R-DE), praised the report for raising awareness about opportunities for
federal leadership for diabetes, saying "We are, in effect, the board of
directors of the nation's largest health care purchaser, and we have a
responsibility to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent effectively and with
maximum impact. I have been an advocate of research and education for
diabetes as well as measures that would save money and lives by
preventing this devastating disease."
"Sixty-five percent of people with diabetes are not
in acceptable control of their diabetes; we call for leadership and
placing the highest sense of urgency on this disease in the United
States," said Martin Soeters, President of Novo Nordisk.
"We at Novo Nordisk are dedicated to helping to
defeat diabetes and are proud of our heritage of more than 80 years in
diabetes care."
With leadership and commitment from Novo Nordisk,
NCDP works with the diabetes community, business, government, advocates,
caregivers and patients to change the way patients and health care
professionals think about diabetes and the way the disease is treated.
The
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) joined NCDP
and the AADE in support of the study’s recommendations.
The study is available online at
ncdp.com.
Editor’s Notes:
About the National Changing Diabetes
Program
The National Changing Diabetes
Program (NCDP) is a multi-faceted initiative that brings together
innovators in diabetes education, treatment and policy to improve the
lives of people with diabetes. NCDP strives to create change in the U.S.
health care system to provide dramatic improvement in the prevention and
care of diabetes. Launched in 2005, NCDP is a program of Novo Nordisk.
For more information, visit
www.ncdp.com. Changing Diabetes is a service mark of Novo Nordisk
A/S.
About Novo Nordisk
Novo Nordisk is a healthcare company with an 84-year history of
innovation and achievement in diabetes care. The company has the
broadest diabetes product portfolio in the industry, including the most
advanced products within the area of insulin delivery systems.In
addition to diabetes care, Novo Nordisk has a leading position within
areas such as hemostasis management, growth hormone therapy, and hormone
therapy for women. With headquarters in Denmark, Novo Nordisk employs
more than 4,000 employees in 79 countries, and markets its products in
179 countries. Novo Nordisk's B shares are listed on the stock exchanges
in Copenhagen and London. Its ADRs are listed on the New York Stock
Exchange under the symbol 'NVO'. For global information, visit
novonordisk.com; for United States information, visit
novonordisk-us.com.
About Mathematica Policy Research,
Inc.
Mathematica, a nonpartisan research
firm, conducts policy research and surveys for federal and state
governments, foundations and private-sector clients. The employee-owned
company, with offices in Princeton, N.J., Washington, D.C., and
Cambridge, Mass., has conducted some of the most important studies of
education, health care, welfare, employment, nutrition and early
childhood policies and programs in the U.S. Mathematica strives to
improve public well-being by bringing the highest standards of quality,
objectivity and excellence to bear on the provision of information
collection and analysis to its clients.
The Diabetes Caucus was formed in
1996 and has grown to be the largest caucus in Congress with more than
280 members in the 109th Congress. The mission of the Caucus is to
improve the lives of people with diabetes and support research to find a
cure. The group says its achievements are significant. One example is
obtaining $1.5 billion for the Special Diabetes Program, a program that
funds juvenile diabetes research and Native American treatment and
prevention programs through the Indian Health Service. More information
at
http://www.house.gov/degette/diabetes/
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