November is National Diabetes Month and Diabetic Eye Disease Month Please join the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) this November during National Diabetes Month and Diabetic Eye Disease Month in raising awareness about diabetes, diabetic eye disease, the importance of early disease detection, and the related preventive health services covered by Medicare.
Diabetes can lead to severe complications such as heart disease, stroke, vision loss, kidney disease, nerve damage, and amputation among others, and it’s a significant risk factor for developing glaucoma. People with diabetes are more susceptible to many other illnesses such as pneumonia and influenza and are more likely to die from these than people who do not have diabetes. Among U.S. residents aged 65 years and older, 10.9 million (or 26.9%) had diabetes in 2010. Currently, 3.6 million Americans age 40 and older suffer from diabetic eye disease. Education and early detection are major components to combating this disease. What Can You Do? Help protect the health of your Medicare-covered patients by informing them that Medicare covers several diabetes-related preventive services for eligible beneficiaries including diabetes screening tests, diabetes self-management training, medical nutrition therapy, diabetes supplies, glaucoma screening, and vaccinations for pneumonia and influenza. Advise them that the early detection and treatment of diabetes can prevent or delay many associated illnesses and complications. Encourage utilization of these important preventive services as appropriate. And remember, many of these services require an order or referral for coverage by Medicare. Please ensure that you provide your Medicare patients with the appropriate documentation so they can receive the services needed to help prevent, treat, and manage the disease. For More Information: * The Guide to Medicare Preventive Services<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/mps_guide_web-061305.pdf> (see Chapter 6) * Medicare Preventive Services Quick Reference Information Chart<https://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/MPS_QuickReferenceChart_1.pdf> * The Diabetes-Related Services Fact Sheet<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/DiabetesSvcs.pdf> * The Glaucoma Screening Brochure<http://www.cms.gov/MLNProducts/downloads/glaucoma.pdf> * Medicare.gov – Diabetes Screening, Supplies and Self Management Training Website<http://www.medicare.gov/(X(1)S(3cljdd55q5q1unakbasrqc45))/navigation/manage-your-health/preventive-services/diabetes-screening.aspx> * National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 2011<http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/pdf/ndfs_2011.pdf> * National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) Healthcare Professionals Website<http://ndep.nih.gov/hcp-businesses-and-schools/HealthCareProfessionals.aspx> Thank you for joining with CMS to help increase awareness and educate about diabetes and diabetic eye disease, and the diabetes-related preventive health services now covered by Medicare. ------------------------------------------------- Each Office Visit is an Opportunity. Medicare patients give many reasons for not getting their annual flu vaccination, but the fact is that flu seasons are unpredictable and can be severe. Each year, it is estimated that 90 percent of seasonal flu-related deaths and more than 60 percent of seasonal flu-related hospitalizations occur in people 65 years and older. Please talk with your Medicare patients about the importance of getting their annual flu vaccination. And remember, vaccination is important for healthcare workers too, who may spread the flu to high risk patients. Don’t forget to immunize yourself and your staff. Protect your patients. Protect your family. Protect yourself. Get the Flu Vaccine—Not the Flu. Remember – The flu vaccine plus its administration are covered Part B benefits. CMS has posted the 2011-2012 seasonal flu vaccine payment limits at http://www.CMS.gov/McrPartBDrugAvgSalesPrice/10_VaccinesPricing.asp. Note that the flu vaccine is NOT a Part D-covered drug. For more information on coverage and billing of the flu vaccine and its administration, as well as related educational provider resources, visit http://www.CMS.gov/MLNProducts/35_PreventiveServices.asp and http://www.cms.gov/immunizations. ------------------------------------------------------ Note: If you have problems accessing any hyperlink in this message, please copy and paste the URL into your Internet browser. If you know someone who would like to subscribe to a Medicare Fee-For-Service (FFS) provider listserv, go to (http://www.cms.gov/prospmedicarefeesvcpmtgen/downloads/Provider_Listservs.pdf). If you would like to unsubscribe from a specific provider listserv, please go to (https://list.nih.gov/cgi-bin/wa.exe?INDEX) to unsubscribe or to leave the appropriate listserv. Please DO NOT respond to this email. This email is a service of CMS and routed through an electronic mail server to communicate Medicare policy and operational changes and/or updates. Responses to this email are not routed to CMS personnel. Inquiries may be sent by going to (http://www.cms.gov/ContactCMS). Thank you.
