Diabetes is one of the most common conditions from which recipients of Medicare suffer and cost hundreds of millions per year for treatment. In response, the Department of Health and Human Services instituted a pilot program, with the cooperation of the YMCA, which focused on informing people about the risk of diabetes and what steps can be taken to prevent developing the disease. Early results showed some signs of promise with nearly 8,000 participants losing an average of %5 of their body weight. Results of this kind are encouraging since developing diabetes is directly connected to body weight which leads to increased levels of glucose in the bloodstream. Since the side effects of the disease include everything ranging from heart problems to strokes to blindness preventative care can help save much money down the line that is spent of the fallout of diabetes. As of now, the pilot program has yet to be fully expanded with determinations about how to expand the initiative nationwide still being considered.
See Lenny Bernstein, Medicare Could Soon Pay For Services To Keep Diabetes From Developing, The Washington Post, March 23, 2016.
