Maryland, Alabama, Alaska and Delaware are working with the National Governors Association on policies to advance the type 2 diabetes landscape. More than 88 million US adults currently live with prediabetes and more than 34 million adults live with diabetes. Governors have the unique opportunity to improve population health, reduce healthcare spending and reverse negative health trends by investing in comprehensive state plans to prevent and reduce prediabetes and diabetes. Maryland is featured as an innovator state and is sharing best practices and lessons learned with Alabama, Alaska and Delaware.
The NGA Center for Best Practices selected the four states for its 2021 Learning Lab on State Strategies for Managing the Type 2 Diabetes Landscape as NGA’s most recent effort to support states and territories in reducing the burden of chronic disease. Representatives from the four states are convening in monthly workshops covering a wide range of topics related to diabetes, including the National Diabetes Prevention Program, food insecurity and the built environment and diabetes management and education.
This learning lab is expected to conclude June 2022 and will be followed by an action plan that will be distributed to all 55 governors in the states and territories.
Previously, in a 2021 roundtable, NGA collaborated with state and national experts to create a publication with policy considerations for the statewide treatment and management of type 2 diabetes. NGA found that through using the Social Determinants of Health, Governors can create and support policies that strengthen interventions intended to create greater access to non-medical resources that address social needs linked to health and health outcomes.