Submitted by Jean Magee, Augusta Health Diabetes Educator
Who We Are: Augusta Health’s Certified Diabetes Educators and Registered Dietitians provide patients with education and tools to help manage their medical conditions and improve their overall health. We are a referral-based program accredited by the American Diabetic Association.
Eligible Patients: Patients with Type 1, Type 2 or gestational diabetes can benefit from initial Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT). We also provide MNT for a variety of needs such as weight loss, various GI disorders, kidney care and disordered eating. We see patients for both prevention and management at any stage of their disease process.
Insurance Coverage and Co-Pays: DSMT and MNT are covered by most 
insurances, but some private insurers require pre-authorization. Co-pays typically range from $0 – $20. Medicare benefits are detailed below.
Medicare Benefits – Diabetes Self-Management Training
- Year 1 = 10 hours diabetes education (1 hour individual and 9 hours of group)
- Year 2 & subsequent years = 2 hours of diabetes education (individual or group class, each calendar year)
Medicare Benefits – Medical Nutrition Therapy
- Year 1 = 3 hours individual education
- Year 2 & subsequent years = 2 hours individual education
Classes Available: We offer a Diabetes Boot Camp for Type 2 diabetes, a Carb Counting 101 class, and we plan to launch a CDC Diabetes Prevention Program in 2018. In addition to classes, we also offer a monthly Diabetes Support Group.
Diabetes Basics Handout: For patients who need an easy-to-follow guide to diabetic “survival skills,” we encourage providers to share this Diabetes Fact Sheet. This handout on diabetes basics was developed by an interdisciplinary team as part of Augusta Health’s effort to improve diabetes education in our community.
Make a Referral: Please call our program at (540) 213-2537 or (540) 941-2537. If you are using Athena, a referral can be made directly to our program through the medical record. You can also fax a referral to (540) 213-2522.