541-P: Medicare’s Initial or Annual Wellness Visits and Participation of Diabetes Self-Management Education and Support among Medicare Beneficiaries with Type 2 Diabetes

Welcome to Medicare and Annual Wellness Visits (AWV) provide opportunities for providers to engage beneficiaries in health promotion-related discussions. Diabetes self-management education and support (DSMES) facilitates beneficiary competence in complex technical skills, critical decision-making, and coping behaviors required to achieve individualized blood glucose goals. Although covered by Medicare, DSMES utilization is low. Increasing AWVs may help improve DSMES participation by older adults. Using the 2020 national sample of the Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey Public Use File, a survey-weighted multivariable logit model, adjusting for socio-demographics and comorbidities, was performed to estimate predictive margins for comparing the prevalence of participating in DSMES among beneficiaries aged ≥65 years with type 2 diabetes (n=1, 837). Of beneficiaries, 50. 9% self-reported participation in DSMES. Beneficiaries with AWV were 7. 2% 95%CI=1. 2%, 13. 1% more likely to participate in DSMES. Beneficiaries with lower educational attainment (less than high school, -18. 9% -26. 4, -11. 4 and high school, -10. 0% -15. 8, -4. 4) were less likely to participate in DSMES than those with a college education. Beneficiaries with lower incomes (less than 25, 000, -14. 4% -21. 5, -7. 4) were also less likely to participate in DSMES. Beneficiaries of Other race (-15. 1% -22. 9, -7. 4) were less likely to participate in DSMES than non-Hispanic White beneficiaries. About half of study beneficiaries with type 2 diabetes, representing almost 4 million older adults, did not access DSMES services. AWV was significantly associated with DSMES participation. Disparities in DSMES participation were observed by race, income, and education. Implementation efforts from both provider and beneficiary perspectives to improve the use of AWV and DSMES among at-risk beneficiaries should be considered. Disclosure B. Ng: None. J. B. LaManna: None. G. T. Hawkins: None. S. D. Towne: None. C. Park: None.