In a submission today to the Senate Finance Committee’s hearing, Bolstering Chronic Care through Medicare Physician Payment, the American Diabetes Association® (ADA) is urging policymakers to boost Medicare payments to physicians and primary care delivery teams to improve care for people with diabetes.
A National Policy Roundtable on Diabetes and Primary Care hosted earlier this year by the ADA, and joined by major physician and patient advocacy organizations, made clear that increased reimbursement for all members of a primary care team can both alleviate the health care workforce shortage and improve patient outcomes. While innovations for people with diabetes have been considerable in recent years, health outcomes in the United States have not improved at the same pace. This troubling trend calls for government action to increase the supply of primary care physicians, nurse practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, community health workers and other providers who are indispensable in providing comprehensive, patient-centered care for individuals with diabetes. People with diabetes rely on these providers for their health care.
"Access to high-quality primary care is fundamental to effectively managing diabetes and preventing complications," said Lisa Murdock, chief advocacy officer at the ADA. "Medicare payment reform that adequately reimburses all members of a primary care team, prioritizing chronic care management and preventive care, can greatly improve the lives of beneficiaries with diabetes."
The Biden administration has already taken important steps to support team-based primary care by updating the physician fee schedule to increase reimbursement rates for primary care clinicians, including services by auxiliary personnel such as community health workers and care navigators. Likewise, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has launched care models, the agency’s innovation center to encourage advanced primary care delivery and improved patient outcomes in the Medicare shared savings program.
Congress and the administration should continue exploring payment models that emphasize team-based care, reimburse for preventive care services, and facilitate partnerships between primary care clinicians, specialists like endocrinologists, and community-based resources. These initiatives encourage care coordination among various health care providers to improve health outcomes and access to care for people with diabetes and other chronic conditions.
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About the American Diabetes Association
The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the nation’s leading voluntary health organization fighting to bend the curve on the diabetes epidemic and help people living with diabetes thrive. For 83 years, the ADA has driven discovery and research to treat, manage, and prevent diabetes while working relentlessly for a cure. Through advocacy, program development, and education we aim to improve the quality of life for the 136 million Americans living with diabetes or prediabetes. Diabetes has brought us together. What we do next will make us Connected for Life®. To learn more or to get involved, visit us at diabetes.org or call 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383). Join the fight with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Spanish Facebook (Asociación Americana de la Diabetes), LinkedIn (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).