System should include chronic disease care

I've been a type one diabetic for as long as I can remember. Luckily, I've had access to health care that has provided me the chance to manage my disease and at times my parents to micromanage it.

However, sometimes the cold sweat that wakes me up at night isn't my blood sugar dropping but rather my fear as to what happens the day I become ineligible for receiving my father's benefits and am without health insurance.

One of the greatest challenges facing people with diabetes is finding accessible, adequate and affordable health care. We have a health care system that will pay for a devastating and costly crisis caused by diabetes, like the amputation of a leg, but all too often will not pay for the tools needed to prevent amputation, blindness, kidney and heart disease.

Congress must pass comprehensive health reform legislation that will allow people with and at risk for diabetes to receive continuous, uninterrupted coverage and provide them with access to high-quality care and essential preventive services. It also must stem the tide of chronic disease through a focus on prevention.

Congress should integrate chronic disease care into the fabric of our health care system. Quality care delivery should support and promote care coordination to ensure that the patient's needs and preferences for health services and information are met over time and are culturally and linguistically appropriate. The proposed legislation includes important grants and pilot programs for both independent and community-based care coordination.

Teresa Ball

Iowa City