Diabetes Impact on Federal Budget
One of every eight federal health care dollars is spent on treating patients with diabetes, according to a study released by the National Changing Diabetes Program (NCDP). The study, based on data from fiscal year 2005 and conducted by Mathematica Policy Research Inc., found that the federal government spent $79.7 billion more to provide health care services to people with diabetes than to those without the disease—a figure that represents 12% of the government's projected $645 billion health care spending for that year. The study also found coordination of diabetes spending to be insufficient. “We are spending as much on diabetes as we are on the entire Department of Education, but no one is leading the effort,” said Dana Haza, senior director of NCDP, a coalition of health care organizations aimed at advancing diabetes care that is funded by Novo Nordisk. “The staggering cost of treating diabetes and the number of diabetes-related programs highlight a need for a National Changing Diabetes Coordinator to ensure results,” said Ms. Haza. Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.), cochair of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, said the study “shines a spotlight on diabetes prevention and management. Too many people face the challenge of managing this disease daily, and I look forward to coordinating our federal diabetes efforts.”
Thyroid Disease in Pregnancy
A new clinical practice guideline from the Endocrine Society does not recommend universal screening of pregnant women for thyroid disease. But the guidelines do advise physicians to use a targeted case finding approach during early pregnancy. The guidelines recommend measuring thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) among certain women who are at high risk for thyroid disease, including women with a history of hyperthyroid or hypothyroid disease, postpartum thyroiditis, or thyroid lobectomy; women with a family history of thyroid disease; women with a goiter; women with thyroid antibodies; and women with clinical signs that suggest either thyroid dysfunction. The high-risk groups also include those with type 1 diabetes, with other autoimmune disorders, with infertility, with previous therapeutic head or neck irradiation, and those with a history of miscarriage or preterm delivery. The guidelines, which were published online in June and are scheduled to appear in print in the August issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, are the result of 2 years' work by an international task force that included representatives from the Endocrine Society, American Thyroid Association, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, European Thyroid Association, Asia and Oceania Thyroid Association, and the Latin American Thyroid Society.
Overseas Drug Purchases Unabated
Two new reports suggest that despite multiple warnings, Americans are continuing to buy pharmaceuticals from overseas, mostly through the Internet. A new survey by the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA) shows that more than 5 million adults—or more than 2% of the U.S. population—have recently purchased prescription drugs from another country, such as Canada or Mexico. The vast majority said they were looking for the best price, but about half decided to import because they didn't have a prescription. Overseas shoppers were more likely to be under age 35, Hispanic, live in a southern border state, and to spend more out-of-pocket money on prescription drugs than were nonimporters, PhRMA reported. Most of the products were for chronic ailments. Separately, the Food and Drug Administration said that consumers often can get the same products for less in the United States. New data from examinations of foreign mail shipments shows that 45% of the imports were available here as a generic, many for $4 each. Among the drugs being imported that were cheaper here, according to the FDA, were atenolol, hydrochlorothiazide, lisinopril, metformin, simvastatin, and warfarin.
CDC: 43 Million Lack Coverage
Nearly 15% of Americans-43.6 million—lacked health insurance in 2006, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Among Americans aged 18 through 64, nearly 20% lacked health insurance in 2006, a slight increase from about 19% in 2005, the CDC said. About 9% of children did not have health coverage in 2006, a marked drop from 14% in 1997, the year the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) was enacted. The CDC noted that the percentage of uninsured Americans in the 20 largest states varied from less than 8% in Michigan to nearly 24% in Texas. The CDC study was based on data collected from interviews in more than 100,000 households nationwide.