According to a new report, the government of the United States of America now spends around 12 per cent of their health care budget on diabetes. The report is the first to outline the true extent of the cost of the disease.
The cost of the disease in the fiscal year 2005 stood at approximately $79.7 billion. This, the authors said, exceeded the complete spend on Education . The report was commissioned by Novo Nordisk, the world’s largest insulin manufacturer.
Richard Hellman, the president of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists reportedly commented: "It's easier to prescribe a pill than educate people to change their eating habits and to check that they're reaching their target blood sugar levels. That's not a good strategy ."
Diabetes is an expensive disease to treat and prevent, with enormous costs due to complications and medical bills .
12 per cent of US health budget spent on diabetes
Tue, 19 Jun 2007
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