Diabetes Prevention Programs

Diabetes is a national epidemic. The number of cases increases substantially every year, as does the cost of treatment. There is a critical need to adopt proven programs that stem rising diabetes rates and reduce treatment costs.

This report examines strategies for expanding insurance coverage for diabetes prevention program (DPP) interventions, modeled after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Diabetes Prevention Program (the National DPP). Evidence shows that the National DPP enhances care and reduces diabetes risk. By preventing or delaying diabetes onset, the program also reduces health care costs.

Health departments, advocates, and other stakeholders in California can use this resource to help promote the expansion of Medi-Cal coverage for DPP services. The report provides an overview of DPP and the evidence base supporting DPP interventions. It summarizes the federal policy landscape related to insurance coverage for DPP and outlines public insurance mechanisms California and other states could use to cover DPP. This resource includes case studies and model policy language.

ChangeLab Solutions’ staff have also developed a short fact sheet which summarizes information about the return on investment for DPP. It is available for download here as well.

To learn more about strategies to fund public health prevention initiatives, see our report on financing prevention.