Perspectives on Diabetes Care

Armed for Diabetes: Bringing CGM Benefits to Veterans

May 18, 2020, 14:03 PM

This blog post is by ADCES partner Beyond Type 2 and promotes their recent campaign to bring awareness to veterans of new VHA guidance that expands CGM availability. The VHA is not involved with this campaign.

Diabetes is already a serious public health issue, but for veterans, getting the proper care is especially challenging. The lack of education when it comes to what tools are available is significant. A relatively untapped resource, continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) is an option for veterans and under a new prescribing guidance issued in January 2019, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has attempted to make CGMs more broadly available. Many might be surprised to learn that they’re covered through the VA and the Armed for Diabetes campaign hopes to raise awareness about this technology and the potential for impact on this population.

Armed for Diabetes is an initiative developed by Beyond Type 2 and Abbott that focuses on the impact diabetes has on the veteran population and the lack of awareness surrounding the options for tools like continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). Why? Because veterans make up a demographic that is often missed in conversations about diabetes and available resources. Unfortunately, the statistics on diabetes and veterans aren’t very good. Here are some key facts: 

• Diabetes impacts 1.5 million in the U.S. – 25 percent are veterans, who make up just nine percent of the civilian U.S. population.
• The VA currently spends $1.5 billion on diabetes and four percent of the overall VA budget is used to treat it.
• Obesity and diabetes are closely related. Two-thirds of female veterans with diabetes are also obese. 
• Research suggests that exposure to herbicides like Agent Orange increases the risk of type 2 diabetes. 
• Diabetes is most prevalent among male veterans aged 65 years or older, veterans with less than 12 years of education, and an annual income below the 100% federal poverty level.
• Growing evidence suggests a link between PTSD and type 2 diabetes and other comorbidities, including metabolic syndrome.

There are numerous benefits to using CGM that veterans with diabetes, especially those dependent on insulin, would find useful, including: 

• Being able to read glucose readings in real time. 
• Less highs and lows. 
• Potential for a lowered A1C. 
• The empowerment that comes from an awareness of how diet, exercise, sleep and other factors that impact blood glucose.
• Little to no finger pricking. 

What can I do as a healthcare provider?

• If you have any clients who are veterans and would benefit from this new guidance, direct them to armedfordiabetes.com.
• Remind them that even if they are uninsured, or their current coverage does not cover CGM, they may now be covered for CGM through the VA.
• Let veterans know about the benefits of CGM you have personally witnessed — and the potential this technology has for making day to day diabetes management easier.

This initiative matters because veterans with diabetes deserve to live healthy lives and should have access to the latest tech, particularly CGM. We’ve armed them in the past to protect us and our country. They deserve our support, so let’s arm them with the necessary tools to make living with diabetes easier.

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ADCES Perspectives on Diabetes Care

The Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists Perspectives on Diabetes Care covers diabetes, prediabetes and other cardiometabolic conditions. Not all views expressed reflect the official position of the Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists.

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