Print this page

Ohio's Diabetes Cost Reduction Act:
A Brief History

Year What happened outside Ohio? What happened in Ohio?
1986 WI passes the first state diabetes bill.  
1993 NY becomes the second state to pass a diabetes bill; the NY bill is very specific about required coverage.  
1994 MN passes a diabetes bill. Rep. Boyd introduces HB 483, modeled on NYs bill. It is introduced late in the session and receives no hearings.
1995 ME, NJ pass diabetes bills. Rep. Boyd introduces HB 83. It goes to Insurance Committee and receives many hearings.
1996 - Model State Legislation is produced jointly by AADE, ADA, and American Dietetic Association.
- FL, NM, OK, RI, WV pass diabetes bills.
HB 83 dies in the Insurance Committee.
1997 - AR, IN, LA, MD, MO, NV, NH, NC, TX, VT, WA pass diabetes bills.
- The U.S. Congress passes similar provisions for Medicare coverage.
Sen. Drake introduces SB 12, similar to the Model Legislation. It receives many hearings in Health Committee and is voted out.
1998 AZ, CO, GA, IL, KS, KY, MS, TN pass diabetes bills. SB 12 dies in the Senate Rules Committee after 1 years pass without its ever being put on the agenda by the Chair of the Rules Committee.
1999 CA, CT, IA, NE, PA, SC, SD, VA pass diabetes bills. Sen. Drake introduces SB 147. It goes to Health Committee, receives many hearings.
2000 AK, DE, HI, MA, MI, UT pass diabetes bills. - Working with Sen. Armbruster, proponents reach agreement on reasonable limits of coverage for education.
- The LBO releases a favorable report on SB 147.
- SB 147 dies in committee.
2001 MT, OR, and WY pass diabetes bills. Rep. Beatty and Rep. Schneider introduce HB 86 and HB 100.
Sen. Armbruster introduces SB 45.
Committee assignments:
HB 86, Insurance; HB 100, Health; SB 45, Health.
HB 86 is combined with HB 100.
Both HB 100 and SB 45 receive many hearings.
2002   HB 100 and SB 45 die in their respective Health Committees.
2003   Rep. Schneider introduces HB 146 with 60 sponsors. It is assigned to Health Committee.
Sen. Armbruster introduces SB 61.
In Dec., 2003, on the day HB 146 was due to come to a vote out of committee, Gov. Taft asked for a moratorium on all health mandates.
2004   HB 146 and SB 61 do not come to a vote, and die in committee.
2005   Sen. Armbruster introduces SB 113. It is assigned to the Senate Insurance Committee. Hearings begin in September, 2005.
A study from the Centers for Disease Control shows that for every $1 spent on diabetes training and education, $8.76 is saved on health care costs.
New statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show that diabetes has nearly doubled in Ohio since 1993; nearly 1 million Ohioans now have diabetes.
2006   In February, Governor Taft told the Business Advisory Council that SB 113 will not pay for itself in terms of achieving savings. After that, no more hearings were held on SB 113. At the end of the year, it died in Committee.
Barbara Boyd, the DCRAs original sponsor (who had reached her term limit in 2000) has been out of office long enough to be re-elected in November.
2007   Senator Randy Gardner introduces SB 98. Rep. Michelle Schneider and Rep. Joyce Beatty introduce HB 137 as bipartisan co-sponsors. On the day the bill was introduced, Governor Ted Strickland pledged to sign the bill into law when it reaches his desk.
In addition to Ohio, Alabama, Idaho and North Dakota have not yet passed diabetes bills.

Updated by Ann Williams, PhD, RN, CDE, April 4, 2007

Advocacy Menu

Contact the Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland at:

Phone:     Fax:      E-Mail:

Diabetes Matters is a trademark of the Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland. All rights reserved.

All information on this website is subject to the DISCLAIMER and PRIVACY POLICY.

A United Way Agency

Diabetes Association of Greater Cleveland