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Diabetes-Related Services

Approximately 11.5 million women—10.2% of all women ages 20 or older—in the United States have diabetes,1 a condition requiring self-managed treatment. To manage their condition, patients need access to medical supplies (including test strips, insulin, and meters) and training to use these supplies. The Report Card examines whether states require private insurance plans to include diabetes supplies and education as part of general coverage.

Beginning in 2014, new health plans sold to individuals and small businesses will be required to cover a package of "essential health benefits." The law lists ten broad categories of services that will be among the essential benefits--including prescription drugs, wellness care, and chronic disease management services--but the package will be further defined in the coming year by the Secretary of Health and Human Services.  It is not yet clear whether diabetes supplies and education will be a required service.

Does the state require private insurance plans to cover diabetes supplies and education?

States receive a "meets policy" if they require private insurance plans to include diabetes supplies and education as part of general coverage.  States receive a "limited policy" if they require coverage only for diabetes supplies or for education, but not for both.  States receive a "weak policy" if they only require insurers to offer coverage of diabetes supplies and education as a benefit in health insurance plans, but do not require that all health plans provide these benefits.  States that do not require coverage at all receive a "no policy."

State coverage mandates for diabetes supplies and/or education typically apply to both individual and group health insurance policies, but requirements in Illinois, Montana, and Oregon apply only to group policies. Alaska's requirements apply only to policies covering pharmacy services.

State Strength of Policy Change from 2007
Alabama No Policy Same
Alaska Meets Policy Same
Arizona Limited Policy Same
Arkansas Meets Policy Same
California Meets Policy Same
Colorado Meets Policy Same
Connecticut Meets Policy Same
Delaware Limited Policy Same
District of Columbia Meets Policy Same
Florida Meets Policy Same
Georgia Meets Policy Same
Hawaii Meets Policy Same
Idaho No Policy Same
Illinois Meets Policy Same
Indiana Meets Policy Same
Iowa Meets Policy Same
Kansas Meets Policy Same
Kentucky Meets Policy Same
Louisiana Meets Policy Same
Maine Meets Policy Same
Maryland Meets Policy Same
Massachusetts Meets Policy Same
Michigan Meets Policy Same
Minnesota Meets Policy Same
Mississippi Weak Policy Same
Missouri Weak Policy Same
Montana Meets Policy Same
Nebraska Meets Policy Same
Nevada Meets Policy Same
New Hampshire Meets Policy Same
New Jersey Meets Policy Same
New Mexico Meets Policy Same
New York Meets Policy Same
North Carolina Meets Policy Same
North Dakota No Policy Same
Ohio No Policy Same
Oklahoma Meets Policy Same
Oregon Meets Policy Same
Pennsylvania Meets Policy Same
Rhode Island Meets Policy Same
South Carolina Meets Policy Same
South Dakota Meets Policy Same
Tennessee Meets Policy Same
Texas Meets Policy Same
Utah Meets Policy Same
Vermont Meets Policy Same
Virginia Meets Policy Same
Washington Meets Policy Same
West Virginia Meets Policy Same
Wisconsin Meets Policy Same
Wyoming Meets Policy Same

Policy Indicator Counts
Meets Policy: 
43
Limited Policy: 
2
Weak Policy: 
2
No/Harmful Policy: 
4
Better: 
0
Same: 
51
Worse: 
0

Data Source: National Conference of State Legislatures, “Providing Diabetes Health Coverage: State Laws and Programs," Updated December 2009, available at http://www.ncsl.org/default.aspx?tabid=14504, accessed September 8, 2010.

Footnotes

1 American Diabetes Association, “Diabetes Statistics,” undated, available at http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/diabetes-statistics/, accessed August 30, 2010.

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