NEWS RELEASE
September 1, 1999

Department of Community Health and Michigan HMO's Promote Diabetes Care

The Michigan Department of Community Health and the Michigan Association of Health Plans Foundation today announced a new statewide initiative on diabetes care. "Taking on Diabetes in Michigan" will encompass core measures and a comprehensive diabetes education plan to prevent and minimize complications of diabetes.

With the passage of Proposal A and creation of the Healthy Michigan Fund, the Department of Community Health implemented the Michigan Diabetes Outreach Networks to create partnerships to strengthen diabetes prevention, detection and treatment. It focuses on quality diabetes care, professional education and increasing public awareness of the disease.

"We have seen positive results of the Michigan Diabetes Outreach Networks, and looked to the Michigan Association of Health Plans to work with us in improving the care that people with diabetes receive," said Michigan Department of Community Health Director, James K. Haveman, Jr. "Through funding from our department, the Michigan Association of Health Plans Foundation has identified key things that doctors should be doing for their patients with diabetes, and information patients should have in order to properly self-manage this disease."

"Records show that not all people with diabetes are receiving the basic care they need," said Dr. Marshall Katz, Michigan Association of Health Plans Chair of the Medical Directors Committee. "Patients in health plans are more likely to get this care, but we need to focus our efforts to ensure that all persons with diabetes are getting basic care."

Diabetes is a major health problem for people living in Michigan. It is a serious and costly disease. In Michigan, approximately 390,000 adults and 6,000 children have diabetes and 204,000 adults have diabetes but do not know it. Each year, 2,300 people die from diabetes, 1,200 amputations result from diabetes and 1,250 people develop end-stage renal disease as a result of diabetes. Diabetes-related medical care costs over $2.2 billion annually and the disease often leads to heart, eye, kidney and other serious diseases.

The Initiative includes a core set of measures for diabetes care that are considered to be the most basic aspects of intervention. Health care providers should begin these core measures as soon as a person with diabetes begins seeing them for care.

Core Measures Include:

• Hemoglobin A1c (BbA1c), done within the last 12 months;
• A physical exam including a foot exam, done at least twice annually;
• A dilated eye exam performed annually;
• A lipid profile, including cholesterol, triglycerides and lipoprotein performed annually;
• Patients should be advised to quit smoking annually;
• Kidney Disease-urinalysis done annually. If positive-treat, if negative-micro albumin test. If evidence of pre-testing kidney disease (i.e. on Ace Inhibitors), urinalysis not required.

"These are the same things that both the state and national quality committees look at when they review diabetes care," said Executive Director of the Michigan Association of Health Plans Eugene B. Farnum. "These core measures will promote basic diabetes care."

In addition to the core measures, other aspects of care will be encouraged as part of the education efforts. These include:

• Blood pressure monitored as a part of every physical examination;
• Influenza and Pneumococcal vaccines;
• Referral to a registered dietician;
• Appropriate diabetes self-management education.

"The National Kidney Foundation of Michigan is proud to support this initiative," said Public Policy Consultant for the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan Sally Joy, who has had diabetes for 33 years and has kidney failure as a result. "This initiative will educate all health care providers, not only those associated with an HMO. It can dramatically improve the quality of life for individuals with diabetes."

The "Taking on Diabetes in Michigan" initiative includes education to providers and the general public. The first education programs are September 14 at the Michigan State University Healthy U program and at Midwest Health Plan's provider education program. Midwest Health Plan will present the initiative again at a member program on September 16. For more information on these and future programs, contact the Michigan Association of Health Plans.

Organizations supporting "Taking on Diabetes in Michigan" include: