COLUMBUS, Ohio, April 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Clad in the American Diabetes
Association's signature "Red Shirts," Diabetes Advocates from across Ohio
gathered at the Statehouse today in support of legislation that will save
money and lives in the state of Ohio.
In meetings with their legislators, Advocates asked for cosponsorship of
the Diabetes Cost Reduction Act (DCRA), introduced by Representative Michelle
Schneider (R-36-Cincinnati) and Senator Jeffry Armbruster (R-13-Ridgeville).
The DCRA (SB113/HB#TBD) will require state-regulated insurance companies to
cover diabetes education, equipment and supplies for Ohioans who have
diabetes. This legislation has been in front of the Ohio General Assembly for
12 years.
The DCRA provides for the minimal requirements to keep a person with
diabetes alive, healthy, and free of deadly and costly complications. Diabetes
education involves instruction on good nutrition, the importance of properly
monitoring blood glucose levels, and administering of oral diabetes agents
and/or insulin via syringe, insulin pump or other insulin delivery system.
Examples of diabetes equipment are blood glucose monitors, insulin injector
pens and insulin pumps. Diabetes supplies range from insulin, to blood glucose
monitoring strips, to syringes.
Today's activities follow a January 25, 2005 meeting between seven year-
old Jessi Martin, of Williamsburg, and Governor Bob Taft's office. Jessi
delivered to the Governor 803 pleas from Ohio residents touched by diabetes.
The letters from "faces of diabetes" in Ohio ask the governor to lift the
moratorium he imposed in 2003 on health insurance mandates such as coverage
for life sustaining insulin. The Taft moratorium hinders the DCRA's progress,
thereby driving up the cost of healthcare for all Ohio residents and
endangering the lives of those with diabetes.
Ohio is one of only four states in the country that do not have mandated
health coverage for diabetes supplies and services for insured residents.
Over 750,000 adults in Ohio, and approximately 1 in 4 children, have diabetes.
About 100,000 people with diabetes in Ohio do not have their basic diabetes
needs covered by their state regulated insurance carriers. This represents
about $1 billion in out-of-pocket expenses each year for people with diabetes
so that they may adequately care for their disease.
"When it comes to diabetes in Ohio, the economic toll is only second to
the cost in human lives," said Gina Gavlak, RN, a volunteer with American
Diabetes Association's Cleveland Leadership Council. "As someone who has
carefully balanced their diabetes with daily life for more than 24 years,
nothing scares me more than the idea of not being able to afford the
medications and supplies that keep me healthy enough to have a successful
career and be a good mom to my children."
Diabetes is the fifth deadliest disease in the United States, and more
than a million people develop the disease each year. Diabetes cost the
country $132 billion in 2002; up from $98 billion in 1997, and despite
aggressive research efforts, there remains no cure in sight.
"Ohio is way behind the vast majority of the states when it comes to
protecting the health and economic security of its residents," said R. Stewart
Perry, Chair of the American Diabetes Association's National Advocacy
Committee. "It is time for the governor and the legislature to take a fresh
look at the widespread benefits associated with passage of the DCRA and make
access to a healthy life a reality for the more than 750,000 Ohioans living
with diabetes."
The American Diabetes Association is the nation's leading voluntary health
organization supporting diabetes research, information and advocacy. Our
advocacy efforts include helping to combat discrimination against people with
diabetes; advocating for the increase of federal diabetes research and
programs; and improved access to, and quality of, healthcare for people with
diabetes. The Association's mission is to prevent and cure diabetes and to
improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. Founded in 1940, the
Association provides service to hundreds of communities across the country.
For more information please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-
DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit http://www.diabetes.org. Information from
both these sources is available in English and Spanish.
SOURCE American Diabetes Association
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Related links:
http://www.diabetes.org
CONTACT:
Francine Haddad of the American Diabetes
Association, +1-800-676-4065, ext. 1684, Cell: +1-703-622-1574,
or fhaddad@diabetes.org
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