Medicare Offers Free Diabetes Screening, Just Ask.Screen.Know.

Academy Award winner Olympia Dukakis and her husband, actor Louis Zorich, have joined forces with Novo Nordisk, to get the word out about free diabetes testing offered by Medicare. Adults 65 and older, who have Medicare, can ask their doctors for the diabetes test.

Over 24 million Americans are estimated to have diabetes and nearly one quarter of this number don't even know they have it. Knowing you have diabetes is so important, because if left untreated, serious complications can occur. Early detection and treatment is paramount to reduce the risk of complications, and to halt or slow the progression of the disease.

Even though Medicare has offered free diabetes screening services to people at risk for diabetes since 2005, the program is not being used as fully as it could be. Older adults don't seem to take advantage of the benefit and many are going undiagnosed. Novo Nordisk would like to get the word out, and asked Olympia and Louis, who has type 2 diabetes, to help launch the Ask.Screen.Know. campaign.

Ms. Dukakis says, in a press release from Novo Nordisk, "We hope you'll join us and commit to getting screened for diabetes. Find out what the risk factors are and manage your health. Learn your blood sugar number and what actions to take. For some people, diabetes and its consequences can be prevented if detected early enough. And it's free! So, just ask your doctor."

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