FEDERAL POLICY OPPORTUNITIES
Legislative Proposals
· Chronic Disease Management Act (S 2410/HR 4978): This bill would allow the high deductible health plans required for an HSA to provide care for chronic conditions with no deductible. The bill covers care and prescription medicines related to the treatment of medically complex chronic conditions which:
Are substantially disabling or life threatening,
Have a high risk of hospitalization or other significant adverse health outcomes, and
Require specialized delivery systems across domains of care.
· South Asian Heart Health Awareness and Research Act (HR 3592): This bill would provide for research and improvement of cardiovascular health among the South Asian population of the United States.
Administrative Opportunities
· Capitalize on success of National Diabetes Education Program (NDEP) and Million Hearts initiatives to include common educational materials on the diabetes/cardiovascular disease connection and ways to address risks.
o NDEP - https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/preventing-problems/heart-disease-stroke (Feb. 2017)
o Million Hearts Initiative - https://millionhearts.hhs.gov/learn-prevent/risks.html (additional resources would be helpful – links to guidelines, links to information on diabetes as a risk factor – have these provided for tobacco use and others)
· Enhance Medicare educational coverage materials for people with diabetes to include information about the common co-occurrence of diabetes and heart disease: (Ex/https://www.medicare.gov/Pubs/pdf/11022-Medicare-Diabetes-Coverage.pdf)
· Support REACH (Racial and Ethnic Approaches to Community Health) efforts that connect diabetes and cardiovascular disease, empowering people to address risks and lower health disparities.
· Encourage cross-institute research opportunities between NIDDK and NHLBI to study diabetes and cardiovascular disease, including disproportionate impact on people of color.
· Make the Healthy People 2020 developmental measure, “Reduce the rate of cardiovascular disease deaths in persons with diabetes” a full measure within Healthy People 2030. Pursue additional opportunities to promote greater prevention of cardiovascular complications among people with diabetes within Healthy People 2030.
· Encourage development and use of quality measures for people with diabetes and cardiovascular disease pursuant to most recent ACE/ADA clinical guidelines: http://care.diabetesjournals.org/content/41/Supplement_1/S86.