According to an article in today’s Washington Post, a pilot program aimed at preventing people from developing diabetes would save money if expanded and soon could be covered by Medicare, the Obama administration said Wednesday. It is the first time an experimental prevention initiative has met the financial test to become part of the huge federal health insurance program for older Americans.
The announcement took place on the sixth anniversary of the Affordable Care Act’s passage. Officials said that Medicare could one day help cover prevention services for 86 million Americans with pre-diabetes, which causes heart and kidney problems, blindness and strokes, is one of the leading causes of death in the United States.