ARLINGTON, Va., March 24, 2021 / PRNewswire / – The American Diabetes Association® (ADA) today announced its strong support for affordable insulin for the COVID-19 Emergency Act (HR 2179) and the Minority Diabetes Initiative Act (HR 2178), both from Representatives this week were introduced Maxine Waters (D-CA-43). The ADA urges all members of Congress to promote both acts together. Currently, both bills have more than 30 co-sponsors.
The affordable insulin for the COVID-19 Emergency Act would ensure that insulin-dependent Medicare beneficiaries could get their prescriptions for insulin and related medical care for the duration of the COVID-19 without co-payments, co-insurance, deductibles, or other co-payment, emergency co-payments. The bill would also ensure Medicare beneficiaries could get a 90-day supply of insulin in the mail without going to a pharmacy.
The Minority Diabetes Initiative Act would provide grants to community organizations and nonprofit health care providers for diabetes prevention, care, and treatment programs in color communities. The grants would support a variety of diabetes-related health services, including educating the public about diabetes prevention and control, routine health care for diabetic patients, eye care, foot care, and treatment for kidney disease and other complications of diabetes.
“The affordable insulin for the COVID-19 Emergency Act marks important advances in protecting the diabetes community during this unprecedented public health and economic crisis,” he said Tracey D. Brown, CEO of ADA. “COVID-19 has taken an overwhelming toll on people with diabetes and other related chronic diseases. Many of them are seniors whose savings and sources of income have been particularly hard hit by the economic impact of the pandemic. Support in this bill is urgently needed.” Enable our seniors to maintain access to life sustaining medicines and ensure that no one who needs insulin is forced to go without it due to financial difficulties. “
“Although COVID-19 has put the spotlight on systemic barriers to caring for low-income Americans and people of color, they existed long before the pandemic and will persist long without significant change. That’s why we are.” We are excited to support the Minority Diabetes Initiative Act – a bill that gives priority to the treatment and prevention of diabetes in the at risk communities and puts our healthcare systems on a path towards health equity, “said Brown .
Not only is diabetes the most common and costly chronic condition in the United States, diabetes rates are inversely related to income, and people of skin color are almost twice as likely to be diagnosed with diabetes or other underlying underlying diseases as white Americans. The ADA recently launched #HealthEquityNow, a national platform to ensure that all people with diabetes and the millions of underserved Americans who are at greatest risk for diabetes have access to health resources that are not just used to treat the diabetes effectively Need disease, but also preventing it from occurring in the first place. To learn more about #HealthEquityNow, visit diabetes.org/HealthEquityNow.
Via the American Diabetes Association
More than 4,000 people are newly diagnosed with diabetes in America every day. More than 122 million Americans have diabetes or prediabetes and strive to manage their lives while living with the disease. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) is the country’s leading voluntary health organization committed to bending the curve of the diabetes epidemic and helping people with diabetes thrive. For 80 years, the ADA has advanced discovery and research into the treatment, treatment and prevention of diabetes and has worked tirelessly to find a cure. We help people with diabetes thrive by fighting for their rights and developing programs, advocacy and education to improve their quality of life. Diabetes 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 battle with us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn), and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn).
Contact: Daisy Diaz703-253-4807
press@diabetes.org
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SOURCE American Diabetes Association
