American Diabetes Association Extremely Disappointed and Saddened by Comments About People with Diabetes from White House Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney

ARLINGTON, Va., May 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On behalf of the nearly 30 million Americans living with diabetes, the American Diabetes Association is extremely disappointed by the misinformed statement of Mick Mulvaney, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, as reported by The Washington Examiner. Mr. Mulvaney's comments perpetuate the stigma that one chooses to have diabetes based on his/her lifestyle. We are also deeply troubled by his assertion that access to health care should be rationed or denied to anyone.

All of the scientific evidence indicates that diabetes develops from a diverse set of risk factors, genetics being a primary cause. People with diabetes need access to affordable health care in order to effectively manage their disease and prevent dangerous and costly complications. Nobody should be denied coverage or charged more based on their health status.

We are saddened by Mr. Mulvaney's comments, and we look forward to working closely with the White House and the Department of Health and Human Services to dispel the erroneous stigma around diabetes and the millions of Americans living with this disease.

About the American Diabetes Association
More than 29 million Americans have diabetes, and every 23 seconds, another person is diagnosed with diabetes. Founded in 1940, the American Diabetes Association (Association) is the nation's leading voluntary health organization whose mission is to prevent and cure diabetes, and to improve the lives of all people affected by diabetes. The Association drives discovery by funding research to treat, manage and prevent all types of diabetes, as well as to search for cures; raises voice to the urgency of the diabetes epidemic; and works to safeguard policies and programs that protect people with diabetes. In addition, the Association supports people living with diabetes, those at risk of developing diabetes, and the health care professionals who serve them through information and programs that can improve health outcomes and quality of life. For more information, please call the American Diabetes Association at 1-800-DIABETES (1-800-342-2383) or visit diabetes.org. Information from both of these sources is available in English and Spanish. Find us on Facebook (American Diabetes Association), Twitter (@AmDiabetesAssn) and Instagram (@AmDiabetesAssn). 

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SOURCE American Diabetes Association