SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Medicare Diabetes 
Self-Management Training Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Diabetes is widely recognized as one of the 
top public health threats currently facing the United 
States. Approximately 21,000,000 people in the 
United States are currently living with diabetes, and 
another 54,000,000 people in the United States have 
pre-diabetes, dramatically raising their risk of devel-
oping diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. Diabetes is 
the 6th leading cause of death in the United States, 
causing at least 224,000 deaths annually. The prev-
alence of the most common type of diabetes has tri-
pled in the last 30 years, and approximately 2,200 
people are diagnosed with diabetes each day. 
(2) Diabetes self-management training, also 
called diabetes education, provides critical knowledge 
and skills training to patients with diabetes, helping 
them identify barriers, facilitate problem solving, 
and develop coping skills to effectively manage their 
diabetes. A certified diabetes educator is a health 
care professional, often a nurse, dietitian, or phar-
macist, who specializes in helping people with diabe-
tes develop the self-management skills needed to 
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stay healthy and avoid costly acute complications 
and emergency care, as well as debilitating sec-
ondary conditions caused by diabetes. 
(3) Diabetes self-management training has been 
proven effective in helping to reduce the risks and 
complications of diabetes. In 2002, the Diabetes 
Prevention Program study conducted by the Na-
tional Institutes of Health and the Centers for Dis-
ease Control and Prevention found that participants 
(all of whom were at increased risk of developing 
type 2 diabetes) who made lifestyle changes reduced 
their risk of getting type 2 diabetes by 58 percent. 
Lifestyle intervention worked in all of the groups but 
it worked particularly well in people aged 60 and 
older, reducing the development of diabetes by 71 
percent. Similarly, studies have found that patients 
under the care of a certified diabetes educator are 
better able to control their diabetes and report im-
provement in their health status. 
(4) Lifestyle changes, such as those taught by 
certified diabetes educators, directly contribute to 
better glycemic control and reduced complications 
from diabetes. Evidence shows that the potential for 
prevention of the most serious medical complications 
caused by diabetes to be as high as 90 percent 
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(blindness), 85 percent (amputations), and 50 per-
cent (heart disease and stroke) with proper medical 
treatment and active self-management. 
(5) There are currently more than 20,000 dia-
betes educators in the United States, most of whom 
are certified diabetes educators credentialed by the 
National Certification Board for Diabetes Edu-
cators. Eligibility for certification as a diabetes edu-
cator by the National Certification Board for Diabe-
tes Educators requires prerequisite qualifying pro-
fessional credentials in specific health care profes-
sions and professional practice experience that in-
cludes a minimum number of hours and years of ex-
perience in diabetes self-management training. Dia-
betes educators certified by the National Certifi-
cation Board for Diabetes Educators must also pass 
a rigorous national examination and periodically 
renew their credentials. Diabetes educators certified 
by the National Certification Board for Diabetes 
Educators, and licensed by a State as a health pro-
fessional, are uniquely qualified to provide diabetes 
self-management training under the Medicare pro-
gram. 
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SEC. 3. RECOGNITION OF CERTIFIED DIABETES EDU-
CATORS AS CERTIFIED PROVIDERS FOR PUR-
POSES OF MEDICARE DIABETES OUTPATIENT 
SELF-MANAGEMENT TRAINING SERVICES. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 1861(qq) of the Social Se-
curity Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x(qq)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by inserting ‘‘or by a cer-
tified diabetes educator (as defined in paragraph 
(3))’’ after ‘‘paragraph (2)(B)’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new 
paragraphs: 
‘‘(3) For purposes of paragraph (1), the term 
‘certified diabetes educator’ means an individual 
who— 
‘‘(A) is licensed or registered by the State 
in which the services are performed as a health 
care professional; 
‘‘(B) specializes in teaching individuals 
with diabetes to develop the necessary skills and 
knowledge to manage the individual’s diabetic 
condition; and 
‘‘(C) is certified as a diabetes educator by 
a recognized certifying body (as defined in 
paragraph (4)). 
‘‘(4)(A) For purposes of paragraph (3)(B), the 
term ‘recognized certifying body’ means— 
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‘‘(i) the National Certification Board for 
Diabetes Educators, or 
‘‘(ii) a certifying body for diabetes edu-
cators, which is recognized by the Secretary as 
authorized to grant certification of diabetes 
educators for purposes of this subsection pursu-
ant to standards established by the Secretary, 
if the Secretary determines such Board or body, 
respectively, meets the requirement of subpara-
graph (B). 
‘‘(B) The National Certification Board for Dia-
betes Educators or a certifying body for diabetes 
educators meets the requirement of this subpara-
graph, with respect to the certification of an indi-
vidual, if the Board or body, respectively, is incor-
porated and registered to do business in the United 
States and requires as a condition of such certifi-
cation each of the following: 
‘‘(i) The individual has a qualifying cre-
dential in a specified health care profession. 
‘‘(ii) The individual has professional prac-
tice experience in diabetes self-management 
training that includes a minimum number of 
hours and years of experience in such training. 
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‘‘(iii) The individual has successfully com-
pleted a national certification examination of-
fered by such entity. 
‘‘(iv) The individual periodically renews 
certification status following initial certifi-
cation.’’. 
(b) GAO STUDY AND REPORT.— 
(1) STUDY.—The Comptroller General of the 
United States shall conduct a study to identify the 
barriers that exist for Medicare beneficiaries with di-
abetes in accessing diabetes self-management train-
ing services under the Medicare program, including 
economic and geographic barriers and availability of 
appropriate referrals and access to adequate and 
qualified providers. 
(2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 
date of the enactment of this Act, the Comptroller 
General of the United States shall submit to Con-
gress a report on the study conducted under para-
graph (1). 
(c) AHRQ DEVELOPMENT OF RECOMMENDATIONS 
FOR OUTREACH METHODS AND REPORT.— 
(1) DEVELOPMENT OF RECOMMENDATIONS.— 
The Director of the Agency for Healthcare Research 
and Quality shall, through use of a workshop and 
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