Ohio Legislature Fails to Act on Diabetes Health Care Bill

There are only 4 states left that do not require state-regulated health plans to provide comprehensive diabetes health coverage, they are OHIO, ALABAMA, IDAHO AND NORTH DAKOTA

Approximately 380,000 Ohioans With Diabetes Would Benefit From Legislation to Include Diabetes Supplies, Medication and Training in Health Coverage. Despite recent evidence that diabetes has risen sharply since 2003, the Ohio legislature has failed to act on legislation that would help to ensure that insured Ohioans with diabetes have the medication, supplies and training required to properly manage the disease and prevent its serious complications.

Ohio is one of just four states — along with Alabama, Idaho, and North Dakota — that have not passed legislation to require state-regulated health plans to provide comprehensive diabetes health coverage.

The American Diabetes Association (ADA) urged the Senate Insurance, Commerce and Labor Committee to move the Diabetes Cost Reduction Act (DCRA), S.B. 113, to the Senate floor for a vote. Last fall, the Committee held two hearings on the bill, which is sponsored by State Sen. Jeffry Armbruster (R-13-Ridgeville), but it has failed to move out of committee since then. Since those hearings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced that diabetes had increased by over 14 percent in the United States — up from 18.2 million in 2003 to 20.8 million today.