Facing Low Supplier Interest, CMS Floats MDPP Changes
Hoping to boost enrollment in the struggling Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) expanded model, CMS has proposed changes that would increase reimbursement and significantly shorten the services period for participants. While stakeholders agree that the changes are needed, some warn they’re only incremental steps to shore up the MDPP, which has faced a shortage of suppliers and challenges posed by the requirement that the program be delivered to beneficiaries in person.
“The MDPP rules and regulations, including the payment mechanism and the two-year commitment — in contrast to one year for the CDC DPP [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Diabetes Prevention Program] — have made enrollment very difficult if not impossible for MDPP suppliers,” asserts Liz Joy, M.D., senior medical director for wellness and nutrition at Intermountain Healthcare.