Curt Weldon, legislation and research
In Congress, Weldon is vice-chair of the diabetes caucus, a position he is using to promote diabetes awareness, legislation and research.
Health-care spending for problems such as heart disease, circulation, kidney failure, and blindness could all be reduced if people with diabetes knew they had it and got it under control, Weldon says.
“Studies have been done by the government that show diabetes is the single biggest cost driver of Medicare of any other disease in the country,” said Weldon. “People can voluntarily reduce the cost of health care by complying b y controlling their diabetes through diet and exercise.
“If we can get people to be aware of how to control the disease, you don’t need to spend all the money on resultant complications,” said Weldon, noting one out of every seven health-care dollars and one out of every four Medicare dollars are spent on diabetes. “That’s why it’s such an important disease to focus on. If left untreated, it has a huge impact. The real irony is that diabetes was getting one of the lowest amounts of money funding nationally for treatment and research.”
For his efforts, Weldon last year was named “Legislator of the Year” by the American Diabetes Association of Diabetes Educators and diabetes education remains a focus of his legislative efforts.
He has introduced a bill to allow Medicare to pay for diabetes education from all diabetes educators recognized by the National Certification Boar of Diabetes Educators as “certified providers” of outpatient diabetes education services. Currently, only a small number of individuals are certified under Medicare, which limits seniors’ access to programs to learn how to control their condition.
Weldon, who was instrumental in getting a $300 million increase in funding for diabetes supplies, such as test strips and needles, said it’s time to be proactive so that Americans will be healthier and fewer dollars will be spent on treating complications that could have been prevented.
“In the past, our health care and private insurance have paid for the costs of amputations (from diabetic neuropathy), it’s paid millions of dollars for people who are blind (from diabetic retinopathy), and it has paid for open-heart surgery, yet the diabetes education was not covered,” Weldon said. “We’ve got to get people aware and understand what they have, that they can control diabetes and they’ll be healthy.”
Weldon has also introduced legislation for a diabetes stamp that would cost slightly more than a first-class stamp with the additional money earmarked for diabetes research at the National Institutes of Health.
“The purpose is not so much to raise money, but to have everyone who buys a stamp and puts it on the envelope realize they could have it,” Weldon said. “Ordinary people who think they are perfectly healthy may have the beginnings of the disease and ought to get checked for it. Diabetes affects more people than any other disease in America and it doesn’t get the attention it should. My commitment is to raise awareness and money, and to encourage people to get checked.” All you need about Curt Weldon right here at studioathome All you need about Curt Weldon right here at livejournal All you need about Curt Weldon right here at grab.com All you need about Curt Weldon right here at greenpeace All you need about Curt Weldon right here at blogspot All you need about Curt Weldon right here at bloglines All you need about Curt Weldon right here at tripod All you need about Curt Weldon right here at flickr All you need about Curt Weldon right here at ign All you need about Curt Weldon right here at isanejournal All you need about Curt Weldon right here at iziblog All you need about Curt Weldon right here at naymz All you need about Curt Weldon right here at multiply All you need about Curt Weldon right here at 20six All you need about Curt Weldon right here at blogsome All you need about Curt Weldon right here at linkedin All you need about Curt Weldon right here at blog360 All you need about Curt Weldon right here at geocities All you need about Curt Weldon right here at blog.co.uk All you need about Curt Weldon right here at soulcast All you need about Curt Weldon right here at clearblogs All you need about Curt Weldon right here at ebloggy All you need about Curt Weldon right here at blogs.ie All you need about Curt Weldon right here at egoweblog All you need about Curt Weldon right here at bahraichblogs All you need about Curt Weldon right here at xanga All you need about Curt Weldon right here at blog.com All you need about Curt Weldon right here at blogbeee All you need about Curt Weldon right here at claimid All you need about Curt Weldon right here at ning All you need about Curt Weldon right here at xing All you need about Curt Weldon right here at friendster All you need about Curt Weldon right here at vox.com All you need about Curt Weldon right here at easyjournal All you need about Curt Weldon right here at squarespace All you need about Curt Weldon right here at squidoo All you need about Curt Weldon right here at myspace All you need about Curt Weldon right here at myopera All you need about Curt Weldon right here at aboutus All you need about Curt Weldon right here at xomreviews All you need about Curt Weldon right here at mybloglog All you need about Curt Weldon right here at tblog All you need about Curt Weldon right here at today All you need about Curt Weldon right here at voyblogs All you need about Curt Weldon right here at freewebs All you need about Curt Weldon right here at last.fm All you need about Curt Weldon right here at nireblog All you need about Curt Weldon right here at blog-city All you need about Curt Weldon right here at blogyx All you need about Curt Weldon right here at journalhome All you need about Curt Weldon right here at blogfusion