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Small number of states pay big portion of diabetes care costs

Category: Diabetes

Individuals in 10 U.S. states spend far more on insulin testing and other treatments for diabetes than the rest of the nation, according to a new study from the Institute for Alternative Futures.

The researchers found that California, Texas, Florida, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, New York, Georgia, North Carolina and Michigan collectively account for 60 percent of all diabetes spending in the U.S.

These states spent $176 billion on diabetes treatments in 2010, while the rest of the country spent a total of $299 billion. Additionally, the researchers stated they believe that as diabetes rates continue to rise, the portion of burden borne by these states will also increase.

"The burden of diabetes will not fall equally," said William Robert Rowley, the senior fellow at the institute who led the study. "To change this tragic trajectory, it is imperative that public and private agencies work together on national, as well as state and local levels."

He added that the burden of caring for individuals with diabetes could reach catastrophic levels within the next 15 years.