On July 7th, 2016, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced a proposal to expand the Diabetes Prevention Program to Medicare beneficiaries beginning on January 1, 2018. The Diabetes Prevention Program is a structured lifestyle intervention that includes dietary coaching, lifestyle intervention, and moderate physical activity, all with the goal of preventing the onset of diabetes in individuals who are pre-diabetic.

The clinical intervention consists of 16 intensive “core” sessions of a curriculum in a group-based, classroom-style setting that provides practical training in long-term dietary change, increased physical activity, and behavior change strategies for weight control. After the 16 core sessions, less intensive monthly follow-up meetings help ensure that the participants maintain healthy behaviors. The primary goal of the intervention is at least 5 percent average weight loss among participants.

Upcoming Webinar

The Center for Medicare & Medicaid Innovation (CMS Innovation Center) will host a webinar to discuss various aspects of the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program proposal on Tuesday, August 9, 2016 from 12:00-1:00pm EDT. Registration for this webinar is now open.

Proposed Rule

CMS will accept comments on the proposed rule until September 6, 2016, and will respond to comments in a final rule. The proposed rule can be found on the Federal Register.

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