American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) Calls On Congress To Take Action To Improve Diabetes Patient Care

Friday, October 24, 2014 10:42 am EDT
Dateline: JACKSONVILLE, Fla.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) is calling on Congressional officials to enact crucial measures that will help ensure the safety of the nation’s patients with diabetes.

Specifically, AACE is pushing for greater access to safe and effective blood glucose (blood sugar) monitoring supplies and the passage of two important bills, which are mandatory for modern-day diabetes care. See the letter to Congress here.

The first of the bills, the Medicare CGM Access Act (H.R. 5644/S.2689), ensures Medicare coverage of continuous glucose monitor devices (CGMs). The CGM is an FDA-approved, physician-prescribed device that continuously detects and displays a patient’s glucose levels, reveals patterns in the levels that often are not detected using finger-stick glucose measurements alone, and sounds alarms for exceedingly low or high glucose levels. By viewing continuous data and responding to CGM alerts, patients can respond to rising or falling blood glucose levels before they become dangerous.

Medicare does not currently cover CGM, despite evidence of the technology’s clinical benefit and cost benefit of the reduction in hospitalizations due to severe hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) events, and widespread coverage by private health plans.

AACE also is advocating for passage of its National Diabetes Clinical Care Commission Act (H.R. 1074/S. 539). The legislation calls for the creation of a public/private commission comprised of diabetes medical experts, patient advocates and representatives of federal agencies involved in diabetes care to more effectively coordinate and streamline activities now being implemented by 35 federal departments, agencies and offices.

Further, AACE called for more rigorous FDA pre- and post-market surveillance and enforcement activities for diabetes testing supplies that do not meet quality standards, including the embargo of underperforming products made in other countries, as well as rigorous examination of competitive bidding practices that often lead to inferior diabetes testing supplies.

AACE’s Congressional outreach efforts are the latest salvo in its efforts to enhance access to and quality of care for the estimated 29 million Americans with diabetes.

In 2013, AACE issued Comprehensive Diabetes Management Algorithm Consensus Statement (https://www.aace.com/files/algorithm-07-11-2013.pdf) to provide clinicians with a practical guide about the disease-related risks and complications and evidence-based approaches to treatment.

And in September 2014, the organization convened a diverse group of public and private sector representatives for the AACE/ACE Consensus Conference on Glucose Monitoring in which evolving diabetes patient needs and barriers to care were discussed in-depth and a comprehensive framework developed for an action plan to address conference recommendations.

About the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE)

The American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE) represents more than 6,500 endocrinologists in the United States and abroad. AACE is the largest association of clinical endocrinologists in the world. The majority of AACE members are certified in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism and concentrate on the treatment of patients with endocrine and metabolic disorders including diabetes, thyroid disorders, osteoporosis, growth hormone deficiency, cholesterol disorders, hypertension and obesity. Visit our website at www.aace.com.

About the American College of Endocrinology (ACE)

The American College of Endocrinology (ACE) is the educational and scientific arm of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists (AACE). ACE is the leader in advancing the care and prevention of endocrine and metabolic disorders by providing professional education and reliable public health information; recognizing excellence in education, research and service; promoting clinical research and defining the future of clinical endocrinology. For more information, please visit www.aace.com/college.