Description:
The physical distancing protocols associated with the COVID-19 public health emergency have made it difficult for health plans and providers to connect with individuals dually eligible for Medicare and Medicaid in order to identify needs, develop care plans, and provide ongoing care coordination. Consistent care coordination is particularly important for people with diabetes — 23 percent of dually eligible beneficiaries aged 21-64, and 25 percent of dually eligible beneficiaries 65 and over 1— as uncontrolled diabetes can lead to poor health outcomes, including cardiovascular disease, nerve damage, or damage to the kidneys, eyes, and feet.2
Additionally, emerging research indicates that those with diabetes are at increased risk for severe illness or death from COVID-19.3 These statistics only heighten the need for health plans and providers to strengthen strategies for successful diabetes assessment, planning, and management.
This webinar features speakers with expertise in diabetes care management who have adjusted approaches to diabetes care assessment, planning, and management since the onset of the public health emergency. Speakers address the use of telehealth in providing both clinical management and self-management education and support. They also share concrete strategies for connecting people with diabetes to resources, including secure housing, food, medications, and diabetes management supplies. Finally, a person with diabetes shares their first-hand experience in managing their diabetes during the public health emergency.
By the end of this webinar, participants should be able to:
- Describe the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on dually eligible individuals with diabetes, particularly those from communities of color
- Identify approaches to providing both clinical management and self-management education and support while adhering to physical distancing protocols
- Recognize barriers to telehealth for some members and identify ways to successfully overcome them
- Name strategies for effectively connecting members to resources and supports, including food, medications, and supplies, during COVID-19
Featured Speakers:
- Vivian Cheng, PharmD, BCPS, Primary Care Clinical Pharmacy Specialist; Bowdoin Street Health Center
- Nicole Kohler, MS, CDCES, Clinical Design Specialist
- Katie Sheridan, MSW, LSW, Case Management; Gateway Health
- Vivian Nnacho Ayuk, PharmD, CDCES, Chief Executive Officer; Sorogi
- Fontella Young, Consumer
Intended Audience:
This webinar is intended for a wide range of stakeholders, including staff at Medicare-Medicaid plans, Dual Eligible Special Needs Plans, and managed long-term services and supports plans; providers, including physicians, nurses, and social workers; care managers, family caregivers, staff at social service agencies, and consumer organizations.
1 Medicare Payment Advisory Commission and Medicaid and CHIP Payment and Access Commission (2018). Data Book: Beneficiaries Dually Eligible for Medicare and Medicaid. Retrieved from https://www.macpac.gov/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Data-Book-Beneficiaries-Dually-Eligible-for-Medicare-and-Medicaid-January-2018.pdf.
2 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2019). Prevent Complications. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/managing/problems.html.
3 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2020). COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease): People with Certain Medical Conditions. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/need-extra-precautions/people-with-medical-conditions.html.