If you are on Medicare and have recently been diagnosed with prediabetes, you may qualify to participate in the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program.
This program, MDPP for short, is designed to help seniors delay or prevent the onset of type 2 diabetes and stave off more serious and costly medical problems in the future. Type 2 diabetes can lead to blindness, kidney failure and amputation. It is also associated with an increased risk of heart disease and stroke.
Studies show that participation in these programs reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by 71% in those 60 and older, according to the American Association of Diabetes Practitioners.
If you have prediabetes, the program will provide you with a 12-month series of classes and personalized coaching sessions to help you with the following activities:
- Dietary changes
- Shopping and cooking tips for healthy weight loss
- Increasing your physical activity
- Tracking activity levels
- Tracking foods, especially carbs
- Weight loss strategies
- Maintaining heart heath
- Stress reduction and management
- Mental health
- Coping with triggers
- Time management and fitness
- Diabetes prevention and detection.
If you meet weight loss and attendance goals, you’ll be eligible for an additional 12 months of ongoing maintenance coaching sessions.
The program is free to all eligible Medicare beneficiaries.
Eligibility for MDPP
Medicare covers the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program once in your lifetime, if all of these conditions apply to you:
- You are enrolled in Medicare Part B.
- You have a body mass index of at least 25, or at least 23 if you self-identify as Asian.
- You meet one of these three blood-check criteria within 12 months of the first core session:
- A1C value between 5.4% and 6.1%
- Fasting plasma glucose of 110 to 125mg/dl
- Two-hour plasma glucose of 140 to 199mg/dl
- You have no previous diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes (other than gestational).
- You do not have end-stage renal disease.
How to lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes
Meanwhile, there are some things you can do to reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes:
- Get screened. Some 86% of prediabetics are unaware of type 2 diabetes.
- Stay active. Go walking or do weightlifting. Play golf or tennis, or take advantage of the Silver Sneakers program — a program available through some Medicare Advantage plans that helps beneficiaries with discounted or free fitness club memberships and classes.
- Limit sugar and starchy foods like breads, white rice and potatoes.
- Limit alcohol consumption.
- Explore lower-carb diets, such as the Mediterranean, South Beach or Keto.
- Get your weight under control. If you can lose 10% of your body mass, you can reduce your chances of developing the deadly disease by 58%. Even losing just 5% of your weight (10 pounds for a 200-pound individual) brings important and measurable health benefits.
How to enroll
You do not need a referral from a physician to participate in the MDPP.
If you qualify to participate, you can find an MDPP provider near you on Medicare’s National Diabetes Prevention Program web page. If you’re in a Medicare Advantage plan, contact your plan to find out where to get these services.