Why Screen?

It is estimated that more than 17 million seniors have diabetes or pre-diabetes and don't even know it. Could you be one of them?  

As you get older, your risk for type 2 diabetes increases. Most people who are age 65 or older are at risk for type 2 diabetes or pre-diabetes. Pre-diabetes is a condition in which a person's blood glucose level is higher than normal, but not yet high enough to be called diabetes.

The Medicare Diabetes Screening Project was developed to encourage seniors ages 65 and older to get screened for diabetes. Screening involves learning about your risk for diabetes, and getting a blood glucose test for diabetes from a doctor or other health care provider to determine if you have diabetes or are at risk.

The next time you see a health care provider, asked to be checked for diabetes - ask for a screening. If you find out you do have diabetes, you can begin to take care of it. You can work with your health care provider to get in control of your diabetes. Good control of diabetes, along with control of high blood pressure and cholesterol, can reduce your chances of a heart attack, stroke, blindness, amputations, or kidney disease.

After getting checked, you might instead learn that you have pre-diabetes. If so, you can take steps to prevent the onset of diabetes.  

Diabetes is a very serious and very common disease. If not treated, diabetes can damage your eyes, kidneys and nerves, and may increase your risk of heart attack or stroke. However, in many cases, you can prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. Or, if you find out you have diabetes but didn't know it, there are many good treatment options to help you live life to the fullest. 

To learn where you can go to get your free screening test, click here.

To find out if you are at risk for diabetes, go to the American Diabetes Association's website: http://www.diabetes.org/risk-test.jsp

The Medicare Diabetes Screening Project: A National Drive to Find the Undiagnosed is a coalition of more than 20 national partners, co-chaired by the American Diabetes Association, Healthcare Leadership Council and Novo Nordisk. These organizations have joined together to create awareness and utilization of the free screening benefit for diabetes and pre-diabetes available under Medicare.