Diabetes

Luminaries from the worlds of research, regulation, and advocacy in diabetes gathered in Bethesda, Maryland, to discuss what future rules for drug and device approvals might look like if things like hypoglycemia and time in range had consideration.

This week, the top managed care stories included more twists in Senate Republicans' efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act; a Medicare fraud sweep targeted opioid distribution; and the CDC reported 30 million Americans now have diabetes.

Coverage from the first of 3 Peer Exchangeâ„¢ discussions from the Diabetes Stakeholders Summit.

Coverage from the first of 3 Peer Exchangeâ„¢ discussions from the Diabetes Stakeholders Summit.

The study found that no matter their eating pattern, participants tended to add weight gradually until age 60, then lose it gradually. But those who had most of their calories earlier in the day gained less and lost weight more rapidly after age 60.

Andrew Rhinehart, MD, chief medical officer at Glytec, discusses the transition from intermediate outcomes in diabetes research of glycemic results to harder outcomes that will benefit the patient financially and through their care.

If there's good news, it's that the rate of increase in number of individuals with diabetes seems to be slowing. But the disease is hitting hardest on the populations with the fewest resources to manage it.

The report foresees the rules for durable medical equipment becoming increasingly inadequate to keep pace with technology advances, and wants a review of policies.

The British study found that just an hour a week of added social interaction, and letting patients have a say in their care plan, reduced agitation and improved quality of life for Alzheimer's patients. This method also reduced costs, which has implications for Medicare as the Alzheimer's populaton is expected to grow in Medicare.

The proposal to mostly leave virtual providers out of the 2018 launch of the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program makes no sense in light of the evidence that these programs work.

Patient engagement offers opportunities for shared decision making between visits, when those with diabetes or obesity make choices about food, exercise, or medication that affect health outcomes.

Legislators and Congress need to be pressured to achieve more price transparency in order to manage the high costs on insulin says Alan Carter, PharmD, principal investigator and senior advisor at MRIGlobal, and adjunct faculty at University of Missouri­—Kansas City School of Pharmacy.

Every week, The American Journal of Managed Care® recaps the top managed care news of the week, and you can now listen to it on our podcast, Managed Care Cast.

This week, the top managed care news included insurers staying away from HealthCare.gov, where you live can affect your chance of surviving cancer, and a new deal could help people on Medicare with diabetes.

Digital providers have been seen as crucial to scaling the Diabetes Prevention Program to the 22 million seniors with prediabetes. Medicare spends $1 out of every $3 on diabetes, and disease prevention is essential to lowering overall healthcare spending.

The partnership is the latest pairing in the diabetes technology sector, as companies compete to offer ever less invasive tools for disease management.

According to Eda Cengiz, MD, MHS, FAAP, associate professor of pediatrics at Yale School of Medicine, diabetes management technology is just beginning and can have a positive impact on the daily lives of diabetes patients.

The agreement paves the way for those over age 65 to gain access to continuous glucose monitoring, following a historic policy change.

Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia show how age causes a protection against inflammation to decline.

The findings demonstrate why quality ratings focus heavily on managing diabetes and targeting 30-day readmission rates.

Patients with schizophrenia are at high risk of developing diabetes, particularly due to the effects of antipsychotic medications, but the results of a recently published trial indicate liraglutide can help improve glucose tolerance and body weight in prediabetic patients.

Nina Brown-Ashford, MPH, CHES, deputy group director at the CMS Innovation Center, discusses how Medicare’s Diabetes Prevention Program will help improve population health and contain the high costs of diabetes care.

The trials appearing in JAMA found insulin degludec showed even stronger benefits in helping avoid hypoglycemia at night, which is always a concern for those with diabetes.

The interventions sought to affect both health metrics and behavior, according to the papers appearing in the journal Obesity.

Material suppliers, manufacturers, pharmacies, and rebate programs all contribute to the rising prices of insulin, according to Alan Carter, PharmD, principal investigator and senior advisor at MRIGlobal, and adjunct faculty at University of Missouri—Kansas City School of Pharmacy.