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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Pinto

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/26/07

3/11/07 HB

SHORT TITLE Native American Diabetes Program Funding

SB SM 78

ANALYST Weber

APPROPRIATION (dollars in thousands)

Appropriation

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY07

FY08

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Human Services Department

Department of Health

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Memorial 78 urges the Congress and the President of the United States to continue

funding the federal Indian Health Service’s Special Diabetes Program for Native Americans

beyond its expiration in federal fiscal year (FFY) 2008. The House of Representatives

recognizes the increasing number of diagnosed diabetes cases among Native Americans in New

Mexico and the continuing need for diabetes prevention and treatment within Native American

communities.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

No fiscal impacts noted.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

The Department of Health reports that the purpose of the Special Diabetes Program is to support

Native Americans in developing effective strategies for diabetes care and prevention within their

communities. Approaches include tribe-specific education systems and intertribal sharing of

Senate Memorial 78 – Page

2

successful diabetes prevention strategies. These partnerships include local, regional, and national

tribal diabetes organizations and federal and nonprofit agencies. Source:

http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/projects/diabetes-wellness.htm

Native Americans are about 2.2 times more likely to have diagnosed diabetes than non-Hispanic

Whites of similar age. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 2005). Native American

adults in New Mexico have statistically higher rates of a key risk factor for type 2 diabetes:

overweight and obesity. These rates are 73.3% and 51.3% for Native American and White, non-

Hispanic adults, respectively (NM Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System).

Amongst NM

high school students, there are also marked disparities in rates of overweight; for Native

Americans, Hispanics and white non-Hispanics, the rates are 17.4%, 12.9% and 8.2%,

respectively.

Persons with diabetes are at risk for limb amputations, blindness, end-stage kidney disease and

cardiovascular disease. Children are at increasing risk for type 2 diabetes due to obesity, poor

nutrition, and lack of physical exercise.

Medical care and lost productivity for a person with diabetes averages over $13,000 per year,

totaling in excess of $1 billion a year for the state (Diabetes Care study).

MW/nt