Diabetes: 1 of the top 10 causes of death in Illinois

The Cost of Diabetes in Illinois

• “The total cost of diabetes in Illinois exceeds $7.3 billion per year.

• The American Diabetes Association estimates that a third of this cost stems from indirect costs such as lost work productivity, and that two thirds of the cost is a direct result of medical bills.

Complications from Diabetes

• $51,585: the average cost of each amputation.

• In 2009, 1,641 non-traumatic lower limb amputations were performed in Illinois due to the effects of diabetes.

• Diabetes is the leading cause of non-traumatic lower limb amputation; however, these amputations can be prevented."

Access to a Podiatrist Can Lead to Savings

Thomson Reuters Healthcare compared the outcomes of care for diabetic patients treated by a podiatrist vs. care from other healthcare professions:

• Patients with insurance saved $19,686 per patient with diabetes over a three-year period if patient sees a podiatrist once a year after a diabetic ulceration, which is the main factor of lower extremity amputations. For every $1 in care results in $27 to $51 worth of savings.

• Patients with Medicare saved $4,271 per patient with diabetes over a three-year period if the patient sees a podiatrist once a year after a diabetic ulceration. For every $1 invested in care results in $9 to $13 of savings.



Citations:

American Podiatric Medical Association. (2011). Fact Sheet: Studies Prove Podiatrists Prevent Complications, Provide Savings. Retrieved from http://www.apma.org/Hidden-Documents/TR/TRH-Duke-One-Page-Summary.aspx

American Podiatric Medical Association (2011). Diabetes by the Numbers: Illinois. Retrieved from http://www.apma.org/ILDiabetesData

Image by Tracey O. (2011). Money! License: Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0). Retrieved from 
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