The Municipal Labor Committee and the New York City Office of Labor Relations recently agreed to create two new pilot programs to assist UFT members with diabetes:

• City of New York Diabetes Program:

Managing diabetes can be overwhelming. There’s so much to learn and remember in order to keep your diabetes under control. The diabetes case management program provides support from a nurse case manager, educational materials and important information to help you better understand and manage your Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.

• City of New York Diabetes Pregnancy Program:

There’s nothing more important than caring for yourself and your baby. That’s why we’re excited to offer the Healthy Beginnings PATH pregnancy program to our pregnant members who have Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes or develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) during their pregnancy. We want to help you have a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.

Program goals and eligibility

These programs, which begin on July 1, will not replace the care you receive from your doctor, but they will provide additional support you may need to manage your diabetes and meet your health goals.

EmblemHealth will identify GHI non-Medicare subscribers who will be eligible for the program. EmblemHealth will contact selected members to provide instructions on how to join.

Diabetes is an ever-increasing threat to the health and welfare of the U.S. public. Due to the seriousness of this health issue, the UFT supports this program. If you are selected, we urge you to participate!

The program is voluntary and confidential — your personal health information will not be shared with anyone. Enrollment in the program is limited.

The disease’s toll

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 29 million Americans have diabetes, costing about $245 billion in medical expenses and lost wages annually. If left untreated, diabetes can cause serious health problems such as heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, blindness and the loss of a toe, foot or limb.

The more you know, the better you will be able to manage your diabetes and prevent these problems.

Online health management tools

Check out EmblemHealth’s electronic wellness services on www.emblemhealth.com. They are free, secure and easy to access whenever and wherever you may need them. Once you are registered and log in, you can access a Health Assessment, Personal Health Record and other health information tools for a variety of health-related topics including diabetes.