American Diabetes Association Announces 2015 Legislative and Regulatory Priorities

News provided by

Dec 18, 2014, 10:00 ET

ALEXANDRIA, Va., Dec. 18, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Diabetes Association (Association) is pleased to announce its federal and state legislative and regulatory priorities for 2015. Each year, the Association identifies the leading priorities which will focus efforts across targeted issue areas as part of our ongoing efforts to Stop Diabetes^®. In addition, in all areas of engagement, there will be an ongoing commitment to ending health disparities.

Currently, in the U.S. there are nearly 30 million people living with diabetes and another 86 million with prediabetes. The diabetes epidemic is taking a devastating physical, emotional and financial toll on millions of people across the nation. The national annual cost of diagnosed diabetes is an estimated $245 billion, representing a 41 percent increase over a five year period.

"The American Diabetes Association's legislative and regulatory priorities are part of the Association's ongoing commitment to fight for the millions of Americans who are affected by diabetes," said Gina Gavlak, RN, BSN, Chair, National Advocacy Committee, American Diabetes Association. "For 2015, these priorities will serve as our guide as we work with Congress and state legislators to ensure the needs of people with, and at risk for, diabetes remains a top focus for all legislators across the country."

The American Diabetes Association's federal priorities for 2015 include:

Federal Funding for Diabetes Research and Programs: Increase funding for the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Division of Diabetes Translation; reauthorization of the Special Diabetes Program; funding for the National Diabetes Prevention Program and increasing funding dedicated to diabetes research at the Department of Defense and the Veterans Health Administration.
Health Insurance: Ensure public and private health insurance options, including those under the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Children's Health Insurance Program and Medicaid provide access to the services, tools and education necessary to meet the needs of people with diabetes and prediabetes.
Prevention: Prevention of type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Discrimination: Ensure laws and policies result in fair treatment of people with diabetes, focusing on employment and the Safe at School campaign.
Health Disparities: Policies specifically focused on reducing the disparate impact of diabetes on minority communities.
Diabetes Medications and Devices: Provide scientific expertise on the need for improved means to treat and monitor diabetes with focus on ensuring medically sound criteria for evaluation and establishing needed regulatory pathways.
Federal Coordination on Diabetes: Support effort to coordinate the quality of care for diabetes across all federal agencies engaged in the care and management of diabetes.

The American Diabetes Association's state priorities for 2015 include:

Health Insurance: Ensure public and private health insurance options, including those under the Affordable Care Act and Medicaid, provide access to the services, tools and education necessary to meet the needs of people with diabetes and prediabetes.
Discrimination:
- Safe at School: Ensure students with diabetes are medically safe and have access to the same educational opportunities as their peers without diabetes. Legislation and regulation to focus on permitting students who are able to do so to self-manage their disease and make sure trained school personnel are available to perform routine and emergency diabetes care tasks.
- Driver's Licenses: Ensure laws and policies for private and commercial licenses result in fair treatment of people with diabetes.
Prevention: Primary prevention of type 2 diabetes.
Diabetes Programs and Surveillance: Funding for Diabetes Prevention and Control Programs, and other diabetes public health programs.
State Coordination on Diabetes: Initiatives to assess the burden of diabetes and to develop and implement policy recommendations.
Health Disparities: Initiatives to reduce the disparate impact of diabetes in minority communities through coordinated assessment, development and implementation of policy recommendations.
Diabetes Research: Support funding for diabetes research and oppose efforts to limit research options.

The American Diabetes Association is leading the fight to Stop Diabetes and its deadly consequences and fighting for those affected by diabetes. The Association funds research to prevent, cure and manage diabetes; delivers services to hundreds of communities; provides objective and credible information; and gives voice to those denied their rights because of diabetes. Founded in 1940, our mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit www.diabetes.org.

Logo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20141105/156803LOGO

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/american-diabetes-association-announces-2015-legislative-and-regulatory-priorities-300011387.html

SOURCE American Diabetes Association