A standing ovation for Medicare’s decision yesterday to begin paying to prevent diabetes, one of the most devastating and preventable diseases.
The shift in Medicare’s approach is part of a long overdue effort to shift from its “half century tradition of mainly covering treatment when beneficiaries are sick” toward “paying to prevent” as reported in this morning’s Washington Post.
As the Capital Area Food Bank works to serve people in and around Greater Washington, we see first-hand how many low-income seniors are struggling with diabetes. In fact, according to Feeding America’s 2014 Hunger in America study, 23 percent of the folks we are serving are diabetic or living with someone who is. That’s why several programs we have that reach seniors – including Senior Brown Bag, Grocery Plus, and our Community Marketplace – focus on protein, fruits, vegetables, and recipes that help seniors eat well.
As food banks shift from a yesteryear model of banking food for a rainy day to using food as a powerful tool for driving community wellness, focusing not just on getting food to people but on getting the right food to people and helping the community understand the power of food to affect their well-being is right at the core of our work.
Learn more in our press release: Food Bank Ups Efforts to Prevent Diabetes