Endocrine Insider
April 15, 2010

(See Full Issue)

The Endocrine Society has been working with a coalition of organizations concerned about the rising incidence of diabetes to encourage more federal funding for diabetes prevention activities.  The health reform legislation signed by the President in March included $15 billion for the Prevention and Public Health Fund, although the legislation contained no direction as to how the money should be spent.  The Society has led the effort to meet with members of Congress, including the Congressional Diabetes Caucus Co-Chair Diana DeGette (D-CO), and House and Senate subcommittees with jurisdiction over Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies appropriations, to discuss the distribution of funds and why it is imperative to provide a significant portion of the funds to diabetes prevention.  The coalition has also sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius asking that she consider funding diabetes programs with funds under her control.

The coalition includes The Endocrine Society, American Academy of Family Physicians, American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, American Association of Diabetes Educators, American Clinical Lab Association, American College of Physicians, American Diabetes Association, American Optometric Association, National Association of School Nurses, Novo Nordisk, and VSP.