Letter from the Editor #517

The face of medicine is up for another change this week as the first ARB becomes available generically. Many of our patients have been prevented from getting drugs in this class due to the high cost of the brand names. Now with the approval of generic losartan potassium tablets more of you will be making this choice for your patients. Interestingly this comes just at a time when data from the ACCORD study indicates we may not have to be so concerned about tight blood pressure control in patients with diabetes. (See this week’s Item #13.)

Most of us are very concerned about the problem with overeating and obesity in children. Health officials all over are responding by taking sodas and candy out of schools and trying to combat the huge amount of advertising kids are exposed to everyday. I have been looking at this with Dr. Alan R. Hirsch, MD, Director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, and he recently shared some information from a study he did with kids and which candies satisfy them the most. To find out what he learned, see this week’s featured article, The Relative Satiety Value of Candy Bars in American Children.

CMS seems to be taking a tougher stand on the treatment of Medicare Patients by insurers. Last week, after listening to physicians and patients complain, the agency suspended Aetna from marketing to and enrolling new beneficiaries.  This ban will remain in effect until Aetna demonstrates to CMS that it has corrected its deficiencies and they are not likely to recur. 

Medicare issued the intermediate sanction because the plan has failed to fully meet its obligations to Medicare beneficiaries. These included: failing to meet Medicare’s transition requirements by ensuring that existing beneficiaries were able to continue to receive drugs they had been receiving in 2009 that were not on the plans’ formularies in 2010; improperly processing coverage determinations and expedited appeal requests in cases where delays would jeopardize the life or health of the enrollee; and applying prior authorization (PA) and step therapy (ST) drug requirements that had not been approved by Medicare.

Announcements:

Taking Control of Your Diabetes: Honolulu and Kauai, Hawaii, April 24-25
The TCOYD team will be in Honolulu at the Hawaii Convention Center for a conference and health fair on Saturday, April 24, and then on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, on Sunday, April 25, at the Kauai Marriott Resort Lihue. For more 2010 upcoming conference details, please go to TCOYD.org.

dLife.com: April 18, 7PM ET on CNBC
Topics: dLife shares all of those lesser-known diabetes insights that can make a big difference in improving your health. A “Best of dLife” special. Sundays on CNBC at 7 PM ET, 6 PM CT, and 4 PM PT. Catch up on dLife.com.

Please answer this week’s Poll question:

How often do you recommend your T2 patients with an A1c greater than 7.0% check their blood sugars?

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We can make a difference!

 

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Check out this week’s “Test Your Diabetes Knowledge” question!

Dave Joffe, Editor-in-chief