Diabetes Education is a self-management program that addresses topics such as:
- Foot care
- Glucose monitoring
- Heart disease risk factors and prevention
- Insulin administration instruction
- Low blood sugar treatment
- Meal planning and carbohydrate counting
- Physical activity
- Sick day management
- Stress management
When should you see a Certified Diabetes Educator?
- After major life changes. Changes in your physical or mental health, financial state, or relationships may call for tweaks to your management plan and extra support from an educator.
- At diagnosis. This is an essential time to obtain the basic skills and knowledge to manage your diabetes and stay physically and emotionally healthy.
- Each year. Diabetes changes over time and so do your needs. Once a year, it’s important to brush up on skills and knowledge, learn about new management tools, and go over any struggles.
- When your medical care changes. An educator can help support and guide you through transitions such as seeing a new doctor, dealing with different insurance coverage, adding or changing medications, or adjusting to a new living situation. Consider seeing a CDE when you start or change injectable medications.
Is Diabetes Education covered by insurance?
- Outpatient diabetes self-management training (DSMT) is a recognized part of your diabetes care and is covered by Medicare and most insurance plans when it is offered through an accredited program. Medicare covers up to ten DSMT hours and three medical nutrition therapy (MNT) hours at time of diagnosis. After that, people with diabetes get two hours of DMST and two hours of MNT yearly. Private insurance coverage varies by state and provider, so call your insurance’s customer service line and ask about the outpatient diabetes self-management training available to you.
Our Certified Diabetes Educator
Jill Spangler
- The prestigious American Diabetes Association Education Recognition Certificate for a quality diabetes self-management education program was recently awarded to the Reynolds Memorial Hospital Diabetes Education Program. This recognition shows that the ADA believes that this program offers high-quality diabetes self-management education as an essential component of effective diabetes treatment.
- You must have a physician order.
Hours: Weekdays, 8 am — 4:30 pm