Thanks to your advocacy, the Special Diabetes Program reauthorization passed both the Senate and the House and is on its way to the President’s desk to be signed into law! Your meetings with Members of Congress, phone calls and emails kept this alive and got us to the finish line!  

The reauthorization renews the Special Diabetes Program for one year at the current funding level of $150 million for the type 1 diabetes program and $150 million for the program focused on diabetes in Native American and Alaska Native communities. This is a major victory for people affected by diabetes.  

Our nation’s most effective federal initiative to Stop Diabetes® and its complications, the Special Diabetes Program has made real advances in diabetes research, treatment and prevention efforts, bringing us closer to a cure for diabetes. 

Because of your help, this renewal will allow for:

• The development of new drug therapies and effective treatments capable of stopping diabetes complications;
• Progress in identifying environmental triggers for type 1 diabetes;
• Prevention, wellness and education programs for communities that are most at-risk of developing type 2 diabetes; and
• Continued research for a cure.

With nearly 26 million Americans living with diabetes and 79 million more with prediabetes, curing diabetes and preventing its complications is critical, and this is a huge step in the right direction! This victory couldn’t have happened without you.

Thank you for taking action and giving hope to millions of Americans with diabetes.

Find out more about the American Diabetes Association's advocacy efforts:
2012 Legislative Priorities | 2011 Legislative Victories | Take Action on Federal Alerts | What's Going on in Your State?

On June 28, 2012, the Affordable Care Act was upheld by the Supreme Court, and the American Diabetes Association has something to say about it. Read the attached press release below to understand why Larry Hausner, CEO of the American Diabetes Association , called the Affordable Care Act "a crucial victory in our continued fight to Stop Diabetes." 

The Affordable Care Act:

• "eliminates health insurance discrimination against people living with diabetes" by protecting lifelong benefits
• "provides access to affordable, quality health care and prevention programs," including "lower prescription drug costs for seniors" and protection for children and young adults
• works to both "curb the current diabetes epidemic and prevent its devastating complications"

"Every day, the American Diabetes Association works hard to expand access to affordable care to prevent, delay and slow the progression of diabetes," and "upholding the law is a major step forward in our continued fight."