Diabetes Costs Are Soaring

Diabetes costs $132 billion a year in medical costs and lost productivity, the American Diabetes Association (ADA) found in a 2003 study. Those costs have gone up 35 percent since 1997. Medical costs for people with diabetes are about 2.4 times higher than those of people who don't have diabetes. Possible solutions: Better access to preventive care, more widespread diagnosis, better disease management and new medical technologies.