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Third-Party Reimbursement Coverage for Diabetes Outpatient Education Programs

The purpose of this study was to report on current third-party reimbursement coverage for diabetes outpatient education programs. In 1986, the Centers for Disease Control began to collect and analyze information about reimbursement of outpatient diabetes education programs. Data compiled in the Diabetes Outpatient Education Reimbursement Database represented various information sources, including contact people in 42 states, surveys, government publications, the American Diabetes Association, the American Association of Diabetes Educators, and Communicating for Agriculture. The purpose of the data base was twofold: 1) to track national reimbursement trends and 2) to support health-care professional efforts in obtaining third-party reimbursement for education services. This article analyzes the Diabetes Outpatient Education Reimbursement Database. This study is a descriptive analysis of the major carriers that reimburse, legislation for reimbursement of education programs, and state risk-sharing insurance pools. Currently, Medicaid (in 37 states), Medicare (in 49 states), Blue Cross/Blue Shield (in 43 states), and private carriers (in 48 states) reimburse diabetes outpatient education programs. Sixteen states have operational pooled risk health insurance plans. This represents an increase in the number of states that report reimbursement from 1986. Progress has been made in procuring reimbursement coverage for diabetes outpatient education programs. However, progress does not imply that third-party reimbursement is uniform nationwide or effortlessly achieved. Many challenges must be addressed before reimbursement is no longer an issue in the management of diabetes education programs and the provision of essential services for people with diabetes.