Establishing Medicaid coverage for the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) lifestyle change program marks progress to health and racial equity and opens doors to a life-changing opportunity for Medicaid beneficiaries. Twenty-four states currently have some form of Medicaid coverage for the National DPP lifestyle change program, and more are working toward that goal. Knowing where and how to start building the case for covering the National DPP can be a challenging endeavor and require the ability to understand and navigate Medicaid policy and systems.
In response to these realities, NACDD and the Division of Diabetes Translation at the CDC, in collaboration with the Kem C. Gardner Policy Institute at the University of Utah, recently completed the first cohort of the Building the Medicaid Case for Coverage with State Health Department staff working on the prevention of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. As part of an interactive five-session series that spanned from October 2021 through May 2022, participants connected with subject matter experts (SMEs) and state peers to deepen their understanding of Medicaid coverage pathways and develop strategies to expand access to the National DPP for beneficiaries in their state. State Medicaid Agency representatives joined the final two sessions to learn about options for coverage, hear from Medicaid colleagues from states that have successfully implemented coverage of the program, and strategize next steps for pursuing coverage.
Congratulations to State Health Department and Medicaid agency staff from Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Mississippi, and Ohio for completing this series and taking their coverage journeys to the next level!
NACDD will be offering a second cohort of Building the Medicaid Case for Coverage starting in Fall 2022. Request for applications will be released in late summer; for more information, please contact Kelly McCracken.