Senate approves Collins bill to leverage public-private expertise to improve diabetes care

The Senate on Thursday approved bipartisan legislation reintroduced by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) to establish a national diabetes commission to better use research dollars, improve clinical care and advance preventive measures to combat the seventh leading cause of death in America.

“Affecting people of every age, race, and nationality, diabetes takes a devastating human and economic toll,” Collins, a co-chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, said. “If present trends continue, one in three adults will have diabetes in 2050.”

Under the National Clinical Care Commission Act, a new commission would be created to identify gaps in current diabetes care and management practices and also to target duplicative efforts within federal agencies. The commission would identify best practices for effective use of research dollars, and issue guidance on diabetes clinical care to ensure the federal investment in diabetes care is effective.

Nearly 26 million Americans have been diagnosed with diabetes, and another 79 million have a condition known as prediabetes that progresses into diabetes without intervention, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports. One of the most expensive chronic diseases, one in every $3 of Medicare spending goes toward diabetes care.

Collins reintroduced the National Clinical Care Commission Act with U.S. Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), also a co-chair of the Senate Diabetes Caucus.

The legislation calls for bringing together clinical endocrinologists, public and private sector health care experts, other physicians, and representatives from federal agencies to better coordinate diabetes care, prevention and research resources.

“I am delighted that the Senate unanimously passed our legislation, which will help foster public and private coordination in diabetes research, create treatments to develop a strategic plan for improving care for people with diabetes and change the trajectory of this disease,” Collins said.