Medicare offers a wide range of services and coverage for diabetic individuals, including:
Diabetes Self-Management Training
Diabetes outpatient self-management training is a covered program to teach you to manage your diabetes. It includes education about self-monitoring of blood glucose, diet, exercise, and insulin.
If you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, Medicare may cover up to ten hours of initial diabetes self-management training. You may also qualify for up to two hours of follow-up training each year if it is provided in a group of 2 to 20 people*, it lasts for at least 30 minutes, it takes place in a calendar year following the year you got your initial training, and your doctor or a qualified non-physician practitioner ordered it as part of your plan of care.
*Some exceptions apply if no group session is available or if your doctors or qualified non-physician practitioner says you have special needs that prevent you from participating in group training.
Yearly Eye Exam
Medicare covers yearly eye exams for diabetic retinopathy.
Foot Exam
A foot exam is covered every six months for people with diabetic peripheral neuropathy and loss of protective sensations, as long as you haven’t seen a foot care professional for another reason between visits.
Glaucoma Screening
Medicare covers glaucoma screening every 12 months for people with diabetes or a family history of glaucoma, African Americans age 50 and older, or Hispanics age 65 and older.
Medical Nutrition Therapy Services
Medical nutrition therapy services are covered for people with diabetes or kidney disease when referred by a doctor. These services can be given by a registered dietitian or Medicare-approved nutrition professional and include a nutritional assessment and counseling to help you manage your diabetes or kidney disease.
Diabetes Screening (Fasting Plasma Glucose Test)
Medicare covers tests to check for diabetes. These tests are available if you have any of the following risk factors: high blood pressure, dyslipidemia (history of abnormal cholesterol and triglyceride levels), obesity, or a history of high blood sugar. Medicare also covers these tests if you have two or more of the following characteristics:
- age 65 or older
- overweight
- family history of diabetes (parents, brothers, sisters)
- a history of gestational diabetes (diabetes during pregnancy)
- or delivery of a baby weighing more than 9 pounds
Based on the results of these tests, you may be eligible for up to two diabetes screenings every year.
For more information about diabetes outpatient self-management raining from a Medicare-certified program, routine foot care, glaucoma screening, eye exam for diabetic retinopathy, medical nutrition therapy services, or diabetes screening (Fasting Plasma Glucose Test) call your Medicare Carrier. For more information about diabetes outpatient self-management training in an outpatient facility, call your Fiscal Intermediary. To get their telephone number, call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).