American Diabetes Association: Stand with Diabetes Advocates Storming Capitol Hill

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Stand with Diabetes Advocates Storming Capitol Hill

Hundreds of Diabetes Advocates are preparing to take Washington by storm and let their members of Congress know that they need to support people with diabetes.

We’re counting on you to help amplify the message. Will you send a quick note to tell Congress it’s time to step it up and make diabetes a priority?

Please take a moment to personalize your letter to explain the impact diabetes has had on your life. Personalizing your letter is extremely important!

Recipients

Your Senators
Your Representative

Contact

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* Title:

* First Name:

* Last Name:

* Your E-mail:

* Address 1:

Address 2:

* City:

* State / Province:

* Zip / Postal Code:

* Phone Number:

Yes, I would like to receive periodic updates and communications from American Diabetes Association.

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Message

* Subject:

Dear [Decision Maker],

As your constituent, I ask you to make diabetes a top priority. On March 30, Diabetes Advocates with the American Diabetes Association will be on Capitol Hill to advocate for people with diabetes. Echoing their voices, I urge you to support:

* Personalize your message

1.	Federal Funding:
* Pass a final FY2017 appropriations bill that includes significant funding for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT) at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Diabetes Prevention Program (National DPP).

* Provide $2.165 billion in FY2018 funding for NIDDK research so NIDDK can discover better treatments and eventually a cure to end this epidemic. The National Institutes of Health's (NIH) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), is the primary federal agency that conducts research to find a cure and advance treatments for diabetes.

* Provide $185 million in FY2018 funding for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT), whose mission is to eliminate the preventable burden of diabetes through research, education, and by translating science into clinical practice.

* Provide $25 million in FY2018 funding for the National Diabetes Prevention Program. The National Diabetes Prevention Program can dramatically reduce the number of new diabetes cases in individuals with prediabetes with proven, cost-effective, evidence-based community programs.

2.	Health Care: Oppose a repeal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) without a simultaneous replacement that at a minimum:
* Provides coverage for the same number of people as under the ACA.  No one should lose health insurance coverage as a result of an ACA repeal and replacement plan.

* Ensures continuous availability of health insurance coverage regardless of a person's circumstances.

* Ensures access to adequate and affordable health insurance coverage for everyone, regardless of health status, income, age, and employment.

* Continues to prioritize prevention, including the prevention of diabetes and its complications.

3.	Insulin Affordability: 
For millions of people with diabetes, including all people living with type 1 diabetes--access to insulin every day is literally a matter of life and death. Between 2002 and 2013, the average price of insulin nearly tripled. Will you support congressional hearings with all entities in the insulin supply chain to identify the reasons for the dramatic increases in insulin prices and to take action to ensure that all people who need this lifesaving medication have affordable access to it?

4.	Special Diabetes Program:
The Special Diabetes Programs (SDP) funds type 1 diabetes research and diabetes treatment and for type 2 diabetes prevention programs for American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) populations. Each component of the program receives $150 million annually in funding. The program must be renewed by September 30, 2017.

SDP has strong bipartisan support in Congress. Last year, 356 Representatives and 75 Senators signed letters of support that were circulated by the House and Senate Diabetes Caucuses.

SDP funding for type 1 diabetes research has led to advances in understanding genetic causes of type 1 diabetes, new devices for blood sugar control, new therapies for complications of the disease, and progress toward finding a cure. The SDP-I program must be funded to meet the health crisis among American Indian/Alaska Native people, who have the highest age-adjusted prevalence of diabetes among all U.S. racial and ethnic groups, at 15.9%. In large part due to programs funded by SDP, kidney failure among Native people dropped by 54% between 1996 and 2013.

Please seize the moment support your constituent with diabetes. Thank you for considering these requests and for helping to change the future of diabetes in our country.

Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address]
[City, State ZIP]
[Your Email]