Shaheen, Collins, reintroduce diabetes management bill

New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen and Maine Sen. Susan Collins have reintroduced a bill to expand Medicare coverage for diabetes management.

The bill would allow diabetes educators to help train Medicare patients on how to manage their glucose, maintain a healthy weight, eat healthy foods, and manage their insulin levels.

Shaheen, a Democrat, said the training has been shown to reduce diabetic-related health risks. Collins, a Republican, said it would lower the cost of health care by preventing health complications and avoiding hospitalizations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says nearly 26 million Americans are afflicted with diabetes and another 79 million have pre-diabetes, a condition that is known to progress to diabetes without early intervention.