Congress has approved a two-year reauthorization of the Special Diabetes Program for Indians as part of the H.R.6331, the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act.

The SDPI will be funded at $300 million for two years, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nevada) said. "With this vote, the Senate has passed a bill that not only prevents payment cuts for doctors and improves care for patients but extends a much needed and successful program for Indian Country," he said.

The program is set to expire in September 2009. Approval of H.R.6331 extends the deadline to September 2011.

Tribes have been seeking to expand the program, which was created by Congress in 1997. Native Americans suffer from the highest rates of diabetes in the nation, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Recent CDC Study:
Fact Sheet | Diabetes Data & Trends | US Maps | State Maps

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