JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – (November 24, 2014) – The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) – joined by organizations including the American Diabetes Association, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, American Academy of Family Physicians, YMCA of the USA and the American Medical Association* – is accelerating its push for Congress to pass a bill that is critical to improving the quality of care delivered to America’s 29 million patients with diabetes and 86 million with prediabetes.
The National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act (H.R. 1074/S. 539) calls for the creation of a public/private commission of diabetes stakeholders whose purpose is to ensure the coordination of diabetes care activities that are currently managed by three dozen federal departments and agencies and to recommend new approaches to improve diabetes care.
The commission would operate with existing funds allocated to the Department of Health and Human Services at no additional cost to the government.
“While this crucial bill has gained bipartisan supporters both within Congress and across the country, unless and until it is passed, we’re losing valuable time and money in our fight to improve the care provided to our citizens who have diabetes,” says Dr. R. Mack Harrell, AACE president.
“We can no longer maintain the status quo as we approach this disease,” he added. “Our nation needs a serious response to the escalating diabetes epidemic and needs it now.”
Dr. Harrell points to new research published in the December 2014 issue of Diabetes Care, which reports the estimated total cost of diabetes to be $322 billion (2012 data), an increase of $104 billion, or 74 percent, in five years. The $322 billion is comprised of medical expenditures and reduced productivity for diagnosed diabetes ($244 billion), undiagnosed diabetes ($33 billion), prediabetes ($44 billion) and gestational diabetes mellitus ($1.3 billion).
In addition, Dr. Harrell notes, “Diabetes is a gateway illness that pre-disposes to many other debilitating and costly diseases. In fact, diabetes is the leading cause of kidney failure, lower limb amputations (other than those caused by injury) and new cases of blindness among American adults. One out of every three Medicare dollars is spent on diabetes care.”
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About the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)
The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) represents more than 6,500 endocrinologists in the United States and abroad. AACE is the largest association of clinical endocrinologists in the world. The majority of AACE members are certified in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism and concentrate on the treatment of patients with endocrine and metabolic disorders including diabetes, thyroid disorders, osteoporosis, growth hormone deficiency, cholesterol disorders, hypertension and obesity. Visit our website at www.aace.com.
*ORGANIZATION SUPPORTING THE DIABETES CLINICAL CARE COMMISSION ACT
American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists
American Association of Diabetes Educators
American Association of Kidney Patients
American Clinical Laboratory Association
American College of Cardiology
American Diabetes Association
American Optometric Association
American Medical Association
American Pediatric Medical Association
American Society for Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons
American Society of Bariatric Physicians
American Society of Nephrology
Amgen
Bayer Corporation
Boehringer Ingelheim
Dexcom, Inc.
diatribe Foundation
Eli Lilly and Company
Endocrine Society
GlaxoSmithKline
Healthcare Leadership Council
Health Monitor Network
Johnson & Johnson
Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation
Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
Medtronic
Merck
National Association of Chain Drug Stores
National Community Pharmacists Association
National Kidney Foundation
Novo Nordisk
Obesity Action Coalition
Pediatric Endocrine Society
Renal Physicians Association
Results for Life
Roche Diagnostics
VIVUS, Inc.
VSP Vision Care
YMCA of the USA