CDC’s 6|18 Initiative brings together state Medicaid, public health, and partners to target six high-burden health conditions with effective, evidence-based interventions to improve health and control health care costs. The 6|18 priorities include: reduce tobacco use, improve antibiotic use, prevent unintended pregnancies, control high blood pressure, control asthma, and prevent type 2 diabetes.

NACDD is working with the Division of Diabetes Translation at CDC to provide technical assistance to eight states that chose Medicaid coverage for the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP) as a focus for their 6|18 work. The 2018 – 2019 6|18 diabetes prevention cohort includes Medicaid and public health representatives from the following states: California, Indiana, Kentucky, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Wyoming.

NACDD and Leavitt Partners are providing group-based technical assistance through a Peer Learning Collaborative to share information and facilitate state-to-state engagement related to Medicaid coverage for the National DPP lifestyle change program. Three sessions have been held since this project kicked off in October 2018: Introduction and Overview: The Basics of Medicaid Coverage and the National DPP Coverage Toolkit (optional introductory session); Making the Case for Coverage: Cost Analysis, Communication, and Partnerships; and Medicaid Policy: State Options and Strategies for Coverage of the National DPP. A fourth session is planned for the end of May, which will focus on working with Medicaid managed care organizations (MCOs) and CDC-recognized organizations, and will include information on contracting, establishing referral systems, and building network capacity for delivering the program statewide. Two final sessions will be held in July and September of this year.

NACDD and Leavitt Partners are also supporting these states through direct technical assistance on an as-needed basis (including participating in webinars or other meetings, providing information and resources, and facilitating state-to-state communications) and continuing to engage states as they complete their 6|18 work plans.

For more information on Medicaid coverage for the National DPP, visit the Coverage Toolkit.