A new bill was introduced into congress (HR 5768) designed to allow more hours and less financial burden for those seeking DSME. If approved, Diabetes Educators would be able to provide triple the yearly hours of diabetes education and hold classes in the community (see details below). We need to let our Congressmen know that we support this bill..

Last week in Washington, D.C., Coach Beverly carved out a few hours from her family vacation to meet with Congressman LaMalfa, requesting his support to expand Medicare access to diabetes education! He asked a lot of good questions and plans to speak with Congressman Tom Reed, who cosponsored this important bill (HR5768).

HR 5768 cannot pass without the support of our Diabetes Education Community! Click here to send a letter to your congressional representative urging them to support and become a co-sponsor of HR 5768. 

Below is an example of a letter Coach Beverly wrote to Congressman LaMalfa. You are welcome to copy and personalize this letter or write your own to send to your representative! Thank you for your consideration.

“Dear Congressman LaMalfa,

My sincere appreciation for taking the time to hear about the importance of supporting bill HR5768, co-sponsored Congressman Tom Reed.  As I mentioned, 45% of people in our district have prediabetes and another 10% are living with diabetes.

The majority of people living with diabetes are 65 and older and they need more help, from Diabetes Educators like myself, to keep healthy with diabetes and prevent complications like heart attack and stroke.

As a matter of fact, 30% of Medicare dollars are spent on treating diabetes complications.

Unfortunately, in my Diabetes Clinic in Paradise, CA, we have to deny many needed appointments to many people struggling with their diabetes, due to the very limited hours allowed by Medicare.

Studies show diabetes education works. Meeting with a diabetes specialist reduces complications, hospitalizations and helps keep our community healthier.

As a constituent and Diabetes Educator I want to let you know that we need more time and less barriers to provide effective Diabetes Self-Management Training.

To improve diabetes care and increase access, Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY) and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) introduced the Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act (HR 5768) to Congress on May 10, 2018. 

You may read the full text of the bill here. 

HR 5768 will significantly increase Medicare beneficiaries’ access to DSMT services by:

• Expanding access to Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) services by permitting physicians and qualified non-physician practitioners who are not directly involved in managing an individual’s diabetes to refer them for DSMT services.
• Allowing the initial 10 hours of training during the first year to remain available until used and allowing 6 additional hours of DSMT services during the year in which the initial 10 hours are used.
• Allowing 6 additional hours of DSMT each year after the initial 10 hours are used.
• Removing the restriction related to coverage of DSMT and Medical Nutrition Therapy services furnished on the same day.
• Excluding DMST services from Part B cost-sharing and deductible requirements.
• Revising the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual to allow DSMT services to be furnished in a community-based location.
• Establishing a 2-year demonstration of virtual DSMT, potentially paving the way for future Medicare coverage of virtual DSMT services.

This bill proposes more hours and reduces barriers to access. As diabetes educators, we know first-hand, how important the passage of this bill is to improve the quality of peoples’ lives.

On behalf of all Diabetes Educators and people living with diabetes, I am sincerely urging you to support or co-sponsor this urgently needed legislation.

Thank you for representing the 1^st district of this beautiful state. I appreciate your hard work and dedication making sure your constituents have the best life possible.

Sincerely,

Beverly Thomassian

You can reach out to your congressman too! It’s easy! Click this link to learn more and send your letter of support: “Bill to Expand Access to DSMT Introduced to Congress”

We make many decisions through out the day, making sleep a priority can not only improve your next morning but can have lasting effects on your long-term health. 

We also know that the quality of sleep can greatly influence the quality of life. A new study finds that lack of sleep may cause many complications now including obesity and diabetes. 

Snacking at night time can lead to a variety of issues, such as skin damage due to the altered production of a protective enzyme, stress and poor mental clarity. However, studies now find there are more serious risks including diabetes and heart disease. 

“Grandner and his colleagues collected their data through phone-based surveys, and, in total, they analyzed sleep- and diet-related information from 3,105 adults from 23 metropolitan areas across the United States.” 

The findings included approximately 60 percent of those surveyed, admitted to snacking late at night regularly. When you are tired at night, you often reach for the “easiest” food option, being an unhealthy, processed, pre-packaged food instead of a nutritious snack. 

“The researchers found that sleep deprivation was a reliable predictor of cravings for unhealthful snacks, while these cravings were tied to a higher likelihood of an obesity or diabetes diagnosis.”

The connection between quality of sleep and metabolic health is apparent. Helping people with diabetes focus on sleep as a key indicator of health is an excellent way of promoting a healthy lifestyle. 

To learn more, enjoy this article by Medical News Today: “Poor sleep may fuel harmful eating habits and diabetes”

Strong bodies may build strong minds, according to a meta-analysis conducted by JAMA Psychiatry in June 2018. The physical benefits of weight training have been well known and documented for years. However, this series of 33 clinical trials is demonstrating a clear connection between strength training and reduction of depressive symptoms.

The study assessed various factors such as training volume, strength or muscle mass increase, and health status and found that none of these had a significant impact on decreasing depressive symptoms. Age did not seem to have a significant impact either, as participants of all ages experienced the same impact on their mental health. As long as the participants were strength training anywhere from 2-5 times a week, they would benefit.

This meta-analysis did not assess or compare any other modes of exercise to strength training. It is possible  that other physical activities may have a similar effect on mental health. Strength training should not be used as a replacement for traditional treatments and medication and should only be used as a supplement to treatment for clinically depressed individuals.

For more information on weight training and its effect on reducing depressive symptoms, visit Weight Training May Help to Ease or Prevent Depression.

Click here to enjoy additional Exercise Resources!

Diabetes Educator Course |  San Diego, CA

Sept 5th – 7th, 2018 – Earn 32 CEs

“More than a course, it’s an experience!”

Bill to Expand Access to DSMT Introduced to Congress on May 22, 2018.

On May 10th, Congressman Tom Reed (R-NY) and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO) introduced the Expanding Access to Diabetes Self-Management Training Act (HR 5768) to Congress. You may read the full text of the bill here. 

HR 5768 will significantly increase Medicare beneficiaries’ access to DSMT services by:

• Expanding access to DSMT services by permitting physicians and qualified non-physician practitioners who are not directly involved in managing an individual’s diabetes to refer them for DSMT services.
• Allowing the initial 10 hours of training during the first year to remain available until used and allowing 6 additional hours of DSMT services during the year in which the initial 10 hours are used.
• Allowing 6 additional hours of DSMT each year after the initial 10 hours are used.
• Removing the restriction related to coverage of DSMT and Medical Nutrition Therapy services furnished on the same day.
• Excluding DMST services from Part B cost-sharing and deductible requirements.
• Revising the Medicare Benefit Policy Manual to allow DSMT services to be furnished in a community-based location.
• Establishing a 2-year demonstration of virtual DSMT, potentially paving the way for future Medicare coverage of virtual DSMT services.

HR 5768 cannot pass without your help! Click here to send a letter to your congressional representative urging them to support and become a co-sponsor of HR 5768. 

Take action on HR 5768 today!

Level 2 – Hospital and Hyperglycemia – updated & recorded ready for viewing! 

 Research clearly demonstrates the importance of glucose control during hospitalization to improve outcomes not only in the inpatient setting but after discharge.  This course reviews the evidence that supports inpatient glucose control and outline practical strategies to achieve targets in the inpatient setting.  We incorporate the latest ADA Standards and provide links to resources and inpatient management templates. 90-minute course.

Purchase Webinar to view now!

Topics include:

• The impact of hyperglycemia in the hospital setting
• The importance of inpatient glucose control
• Three strategies to get glucose to goal in the hospital setting

Economics and Diabetes; we know that other factors impact the risk of diabetes and GDM in women. Some of these factors include socioeconomic status and the environment. One in three women in the United States, especially single moms, are living in poverty or are right at the brink of it.

An estimated 1.3 million women of reproductive age have diabetes; about 500,000 of them do not know they have the disease. Type 2 diabetes accounts for most diabetes cases during this life stage.

Women of minority racial and ethnic groups are two to four times more likely than non-Hispanic white women to have type 2 diabetes. Reproductive-aged women with type 2 diabetes have fewer years of education, have lower income, and are less likely to be employed than women without diabetes.

Can we help stop diabetes before the risk is passed on to future generations?

As women consider the responsibility of bringing a new life into being, they often have a heightened sense of determination to take better care of themselves for the health of their baby.  Let’s tap into that motivation and find opportunities early on to promote healthy lifestyle before conception and throughout their lifetime.

Women have the potential to improve the Health Legacy passed on to future generations by being in their best health before, during and after pregnancy.

Health Care Professionals need to send a clear and encouraging message to girls and women that their health matters and that they are important coupled with resources and referrals to help women improve their health status.

Key Messages during different phases of life.

Message to girls and adolescents: Start building healthy habits today.

• Be active everyday. Limit screen time to 2 hours a day, engage in moderate intensity exercise daily.
• Eat healthy. Limit sweet drinks like soda and fruit juices and limit processed foods. See Joy of Six Sugar Pledge Resource Page
• Talk to girls about expected body changes over time. Encourage eating nutritionally balanced meals and snacks. Refer to dietitians and community programs.

Message to Women of Childbearing Age –  Get active and eat a healthy diet to nourish your body

• Women’s health and nutritional status BEFORE conception is very critical.
• Regular exercise before conceiving is also important –“Greater total physical activity before or during early pregnancy is significantly associated with lower risk of GDM.”And the magnitude of effect was greatest during prepregnancy = 55% risk reduction in those with highest activity rates.” (ie brisk walk >2 miles).

Message to Women During Pregnancy – Keep active and eat mindfully.

Less than 30% of women gain the recommended weight during pregnancy. Gaining excessive weight increases risk of GDM by 50% along with having a large baby. Encourage eating a healthy, and balanced approach to meal planning.

• Try not to exceed recommended weight gain, keep active, and keep connected to health care team for recommended tests and checkups.
• Refer to community programs and registered dietitians to help women meet lifestyle goals.

Message to Women After pregnancy – There is so much you can do to improve the Health Legacy of you and your child.

• Keep active, eat healthfully, get glucose tested 6-12 weeks after delivery. 

Breastfeeding has amazing benefits:

• For children: breastfeeding decreases the risk type 1 and type 2 diabetes and Obesity.
• For mother: breastfeeding decreases the woman’s of future diabetes by 50%. Plus breastfeeding decreases blood pressure, risk of breast cancer and helps with returning to prepregnancy weight.

Health Legacy and Message of Hope: Celebrating and empowering women through improving access to care, education and targeted health messaging promises to improve the health of this generation and generations to come. 

For more info, listen to our OnDemand Women and Diabetes Webinar. Learn and Earn CEs from your computer.

Learn more with our May Diabetes Ed Newsletter!

This increase may be associated with targeted marketing geared toward normalizing alcohol consumption for women and other social pressures. Unfortunately, women are more likely to suffer negative health consequences from alcohol since they make less of the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase, which means alcohol levels can quickly reach toxic levels.

Alcohol is especially tricky for women with diabetes who take insulin or sulfonylureas, since the combination increases the risk of hypoglycemia. Yet, many people think alcohol will elevate blood sugars since it “tastes sweet”.  In addition, alcohol contributes to unwanted weight gain.

Key Message – Let’s ask women about their alcohol consumption and discuss limiting alcohol intake to no more than 1 drink a day (which is the recommended amount for all women, regardless if they have diabetes or not).

To learn more check out our May Diabetes Ed Newsletter!