Bill Would Develop Plan To Reduce Diabetes Rate

More than 11 percent of Hoosiers have diabetes and a proposal to outline the impact of the disease is making its way through the Indiana General Assembly.

The bill would require the state health department and Indiana Family and Social Services Agency to develop a strategy to reduce the prevalence of diabetes in the state.

Diabetes educator Jasmine Gonzalvo says Indiana Medicaid spent more than $10 billion addressing diabetes in one five-year period.

“We don’t necessarily think that’s going to get any better without specific, targeted interventions to help Hoosiers with diabetes,” says Gonzalvo.

The diabetes action plan would gather related data and statistics and identify ways to improve care and prevent diabetes. An estimated one-third of Hoosiers are prediabetic and screening could help identify people at risk.

Gonzalvo says diabetes educators are involved in the work to help Hoosiers manage the disease.

“Your diabetes educator is there to support you when you fall off the wagon,” says Gonzalvo. “We all see it, we all know that it happens, we all know that it’s really difficult to manage diabetes effectively, and it’s hard.

The full Senate could vote on the bill this week.