AACE Calls on Congress to Take Action to Improve Diabetes Patient Care

National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act Introduced in 114th Congress

The National Diabetes Care Commission Act (HR 1192/S. 586) was introduced in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate in early 2015. This legislation creates a commission comprised of diabetes experts including endocrinologists and other health care professionals that treat diabetes, patient advocates and representatives for the federal agencies most involved in diabetes care. The goal of the commission is to coordinate and streamline federal diabetes activities and to support clinicians in providing high quality care to people with diabetes and pre-diabetes.

Dexcom Support Recent Medicare Legislation Introduced in 114th Congress

The “Medicare CGM Access Act of 2015” has been re-introduced in the United States Senate (S 804) by Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) and Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH); similar legislation has been introduced into the US House of Representatives (HR 1427) by Representatives Reed (R-NY), DeGette (D-CO) and Whitfield (R-KY).

For the past 2 years, a collective effort by many organizations in the diabetes community (including Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, The Endocrine Society and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists) led to the the creation of a coalition with the goal of working with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to obtain a benefit category for Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), and to proceed to a coverage decision. CMS has declined to approve a benefit category for CGM and as a result, the House and Senate Diabetes Caucus introduced legislation in the 113th congress, as well as the current 114th congress. The legislation, introduced in March 2015 will require Medicare to provide a benefit category and coverage for CGM and related therapies that will support access for artificial pancreas technology as it becomes available.