Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
HHS Had Great Hopes For This Medicare Diabetes Program. Last Year Only 200 People Were Enrolled In It.
Politico: Languishing Medicare Diabetes Program Frustrates Providers
A flagship Medicare program that HHS expected to engage up to 110,000 people annually each year in measures to help them avert Type 2 diabetes only managed to enroll about 200 people last year, according to an analysis of CMS data. People familiar with the program said a heavy regulatory burden had kept many providers from offering the diabetes prevention service. CMS’s rollout of the program, these sources said, could presage difficulties for any future programs aimed at paying providers of so-called social determinants of health, ranging from housing payments to job training or mold abatement. (Tahir, 10/22)
In other news on diabetes —
Stat: The Country’s Only Diabetes-Focused Venture Fund Brings On A New Partner
The only type 1 diabetes-focused venture firm has a new dealmaker. Dr. Steven St. Peter will join the JDRF T1D Fund as a managing director, the fund announced Wednesday morning. ...As managing director, St. Peter will help decide the fund’s next wave of investments — which could define which early-stage diabetes therapeutics companies get attention and funding. (Sheridan, 10/23)
NPR: Diabetes And Alzheimer's Disease Risk: Scientists Explore The Link
Brain scientists are offering a new reason to control blood sugar levels: It might help lower your risk of developing Alzheimer's disease. "There's many reasons to get [blood sugar] under control," says David Holtzman, chairman of neurology at Washington University in St. Louis. "But this is certainly one." Holtzman moderated a panel Sunday at the Society for Neuroscience meeting in Chicago that featured new research exploring the links between Alzheimer's and diabetes. (Hamilton, 10/21)
