Get Help for Your Diabetes from Medicare
Diabetes Day to Day
Provided by
Johns Hopkins University
Get Help for Your Diabetes from Medicare
Posted by Christine McKinney, M.S., R.D., C.D.E.
on Wed, Feb 21, 2007, 6:23 pm PST
No matter what kind of insurance you have, it’s important to know your
benefits. In my opinion, Medicare provides some of the best coverage I
have seen to date for diabetes.
If you’re not yet eligible to be covered by Medicare, you may think this
entry doesn’t apply to you. But you probably know someone who has
Medicare and diabetes or is at risk for diabetes. And even if you’re
covered by another insurance plan, you should care about Medicare’s
benefits because many insurers follow suit.
The following coverage for diabetes is under Medicare Part B:
Diabetes screening tests. People at risk for diabetes (overweight,
family history of diabetes) receive up to two diabetes screening tests
each year.
The Welcome to Medicare Exam. This exam is a one-time service that
includes all necessary diabetes education and exams. It should be
completed within the first six months of enrolling in Medicare Part B.
Diabetes supplies. Medicare covers 80 percent of the cost of diabetes
testing supplies (glucose meter, test strips, lancets). If you have a
secondary insurance policy, that one will likely pick up the additional
20 percent. There are some limits as to how much Medicare covers for
diabetes testing supplies. The general rule is that, for people not on
insulin, Medicare only covers one test strip per day. If you have foot
problems related to diabetes, special shoes and a foot exam might be
covered.
Diabetes education. Medicare covers education and training - referred to
as diabetes self-management training - in an outpatient setting. For the
first year you use these benefits, you will receive 10 hours of
training, nine of which must be spent in a group class setting. These
education sessions must be done at an American Diabetes Association
Recognized Education Program. Additional hours can be used for nutrition
education, also referred to as Medical Nutrition Therapy.
Glaucoma tests. Medicare covers annual tests to determine if you have or
are at risk for developing glaucoma, because research has shown that
people with diabetes have a higher risk of developing this and other eye
diseases.
Protect Your Eyes from Retinopathy
Around 40 to 45 percent of people diagnosed with diabetes will have
arrived at some stage of diabetic retinopathy. Diabetic retinopathy, a
leading cause of blindness in adults, results from damage to blood
vessels in the retina of the eye. The longer you have diabetes, the more
likely you are to develop retinopathy.
There are four stages of diabetic retinopathy, and it is important to
know your stage so you can determine the most appropriate treatment and
any necessary restrictions you may need to follow.
Here’s my two-step program to protect your eyes:
Step 1: Prevention. My best preventive advice is to control your blood
glucose levels. At first, diabetic retinopathy doesn’t have any symptoms
or pain, so it is important to get a dilated eye exam at least once each
year.
It is also very important to control your blood pressure and blood
cholesterol levels since this can reduce your risk of diabetic
retinopathy. Even what you eat can help with prevention - a diet high in
fruits and vegetables will likely contain lutein and zeaxanthin,
carotenoids known to help with eye disease.
Step 2: Intervention. If you already have diabetic eye disease, seek
follow-up care with a retina specialist. Know the stage of diabetic
retinopathy you have.
The stages are:
• Mild non-proliferative retinopathy
• Moderate non-proliferative retinopathy
• Severe non-proliferative retinopathy
• Proliferative retinopathy
Keep close watch on your blood glucose, blood pressure, and cholesterol
because controlling these factors can help slow progression of the eye
disease.
Don’t take eye disease lightly. There’s a reason why diabetes is often
called a silent disease, with no symptoms until serious complications
suddenly appear and change your life forever. If you haven’t had a