Georgia Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program 2026

If you have prediabetes and Medicare Part B, Georgia's Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program gives you a free, year-long coaching program built to keep you from developing type 2 diabetes. This guide explains who qualifies, what the program involves, what it costs, and where Georgians can find a participating supplier.

The Short Version

The Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) is a structured, year-long lifestyle-change program for people with prediabetes, delivered in group sessions by trained coaches.
You pay $0. It is a covered Medicare Part B preventive service, so the Part B deductible does not apply and there is no coinsurance.
To qualify you generally need Medicare Part B, a body mass index of 25 or higher on the date of your first core session (23 or higher if you self-identify as Asian), and a qualifying lab result in the prior 12 months, with no previous diabetes diagnosis other than gestational diabetes and no end-stage renal disease.
MDPP was long a once-per-lifetime benefit, but for January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2029 that limit has been removed, so eligible beneficiaries can now enroll more than once.
In Georgia, suppliers include YMCA branches, federally qualified health centers, and hospital programs, plus virtual "distance learning" delivery for rural counties.

The information above is general; confirm your own eligibility with your doctor and your MDPP supplier.

In This Guide

What Is the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program?
Who Qualifies for the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program in Georgia?
What the Program Looks Like: The Three Phases
Can You Enroll More Than Once?
What Does It Cost?
Where to Find a Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program in Georgia
How MDPP Fits With Your Other Diabetes Benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
Resources for Georgia Beneficiaries
Learn More

What Is the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program?

The Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) is a covered Medicare preventive service for people who have prediabetes but have not yet developed diabetes. Instead of a prescription, it delivers a year of structured coaching: group classes led by a trained lifestyle coach that teach practical skills for eating better, moving more, and losing a modest amount of weight. The goal is straightforward, to stop prediabetes from turning into type 2 diabetes.

Medicare added MDPP as a covered benefit effective April 1, 2018, and its rules are set in federal regulation at 42 CFR 410.79. Suppliers deliver a curriculum recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) under its National Diabetes Prevention Program, the same evidence-based approach used nationwide.

Who Qualifies for the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program in Georgia?

Eligibility is set by federal rule at 42 CFR 410.79 and is the same in Georgia as everywhere else. To enroll, a beneficiary must meet all of the following:,

Be enrolled in Medicare Part B. Medicare Advantage plans must cover MDPP at least as well as Original Medicare, so you can also access it through your plan's network.
Have a body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher on the date of your first core session, or 23 or higher if you self-identify as Asian. The lower threshold reflects the lower BMI at which diabetes risk rises in Asian populations.
Have a qualifying lab result in the 12 months before your first core session, documented by one of three tests: a hemoglobin A1C of 5.7 to 6.4 percent, a fasting plasma glucose of 110 to 125 mg/dL, or a two-hour plasma glucose of 140 to 199 mg/dL on an oral glucose tolerance test. (Medicare uses a slightly higher fasting-glucose floor than the general prediabetes definition.)
Have no previous diabetes diagnosis other than gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetes during a past pregnancy does not disqualify you.
Not have end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

There is no upper age limit, and most other health conditions, including high blood pressure, heart disease, or depression, do not affect eligibility.

What the Program Looks Like: The Three Phases

MDPP runs across up to 24 months in three phases, defined in 42 CFR 410.79:

Core sessions (months 1 to 6). Up to sixteen group core sessions, offered at least a week apart, which Medicare describes as sixteen weekly sessions over six months. They cover nutrition, physical activity, and behavior-change skills such as goal setting, self-monitoring, and managing setbacks.
Core maintenance sessions (months 7 to 12). Up to six more group sessions, offered at least a month apart. They reinforce the new habits and help you hold your progress.
Ongoing maintenance sessions (months 13 to 24). Up to twelve more monthly sessions, available only if you reached and kept at least a 5 percent weight loss from your starting weight. Beneficiaries who do not hit that threshold finish the program at month 12.

The 5 percent weight-loss target reflects the level of change shown to sharply reduce the risk of progressing to type 2 diabetes. For someone who weighs 200 pounds, that is about 10 pounds. Attendance is the strongest predictor of success, so the program is built around showing up for the full core phase.

Can You Enroll More Than Once?

For most of MDPP's history, it was a strictly once-per-lifetime benefit. That has changed. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026 (H.R. 7148, Section 6214), the once-per-lifetime enrollment limit is removed for the period January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2029. During that window, eligible beneficiaries may participate in MDPP more than once.

This is a time-limited change scheduled to sunset at the end of 2029, so the older "you only get one shot" rule is set to return unless Congress acts again. If you enrolled years ago and did not complete the program or your prediabetes has returned, ask your provider or supplier whether you can re-enroll now.

What Does It Cost?

You pay nothing. MDPP is a Medicare Part B preventive service, which means the Part B deductible does not apply and there is no 20 percent coinsurance, as long as you use a Medicare-enrolled supplier. Your cost for the full year of coaching is $0.

Where to Find a Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program in Georgia

MDPP is delivered by organizations that hold CDC recognition and have enrolled in Medicare as MDPP suppliers. In Georgia, that includes:

YMCA branches, including networks serving metropolitan Atlanta, coastal Georgia around Savannah, and the Augusta area. The YMCA helped pioneer the diabetes-prevention model that became MDPP.
Federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) across the state, which often serve rural and underserved communities.
Hospital-based programs at major Georgia health systems.
Community organizations, including some senior centers and faith communities that have earned CDC recognition.

If no in-person supplier is nearby, distance learning MDPP delivers the same group sessions by video, which can help beneficiaries in rural Georgia counties participate from home. To find a supplier, use the MDPP supplier finder on Medicare.gov or ask your primary care provider for a referral. Confirm any supplier holds current CDC recognition and Medicare enrollment before you enroll.

How MDPP Fits With Your Other Diabetes Benefits

MDPP is one piece of Medicare's diabetes-related coverage. Several benefits connect to it:

Medicare diabetes screening. If you are at risk, Medicare covers up to two screening tests per year at no cost, which is often how prediabetes is first identified and how eligibility for MDPP is confirmed.
Your Annual Wellness Visit or Welcome to Medicare visit. These $0 preventive visits include a health risk assessment that can flag diabetes risk and prompt a screening referral.
Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT). These are for people who already have a diabetes diagnosis, not prediabetes. If you progress to diabetes, DSMT covers up to 10 hours of initial training and MNT covers nutrition counseling with a registered dietitian.
Intensive Behavioral Therapy for obesity. If your BMI is 30 or higher, Medicare Part B also covers obesity counseling under National Coverage Determination 210.12, with weekly visits the first month, every-other-week visits through month 6, and monthly visits in months 7 to 12 if you lose at least 3 kg (about 6.6 pounds) in the first six months. Many MDPP participants qualify for both and can use them together.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Medicare cover diabetes prevention?

Yes. Medicare Part B covers the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP), a structured year-long lifestyle-change program for people with prediabetes, at no cost to you. It has been a covered preventive service since April 1, 2018.

How much does MDPP cost in Georgia?

Nothing. MDPP is a Medicare Part B preventive service, so the Part B deductible does not apply and there is no coinsurance when you use a Medicare-enrolled supplier.

Who is eligible for MDPP?

You generally need Medicare Part B, a BMI of 25 or higher on the date of your first core session (23 or higher if you self-identify as Asian), and a qualifying lab result in the past 12 months by A1C, fasting glucose, or an oral glucose tolerance test, with no previous diabetes diagnosis other than gestational diabetes and no end-stage renal disease.

Is MDPP still a once-per-lifetime benefit?

Not right now. Under the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2026, the once-per-lifetime limit is removed for January 1, 2026 through December 31, 2029, so eligible beneficiaries can enroll more than once during that window.

How many sessions does MDPP include?

Sixteen weekly core sessions over the first six months, six monthly maintenance sessions in months 7 to 12, and up to twelve more monthly sessions in months 13 to 24 if you reach and keep a 5 percent weight loss.

Can I do MDPP online?

Yes, through distance learning MDPP, where a coach leads the group sessions by video. This is especially useful for beneficiaries in rural Georgia counties without a nearby in-person supplier.

What if I already have diabetes?

MDPP is for prediabetes, not diagnosed diabetes. If you have diabetes, ask about Diabetes Self-Management Training (DSMT) and Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT), which are covered for people with a diabetes diagnosis.

Does my Medicare Advantage plan cover MDPP?

Yes. Medicare Advantage plans must cover MDPP at least as well as Original Medicare. Contact your plan for its in-network MDPP suppliers.

Where do I find an MDPP supplier?

Use the supplier finder on Medicare.gov, ask your primary care provider for a referral, or check the CDC's Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program registry. Confirm the supplier holds current CDC recognition and Medicare enrollment.

Resources for Georgia Beneficiaries

For free, unbiased help understanding your Medicare diabetes-prevention options, Georgia's State Health Insurance Assistance Program, GeorgiaCares, offers one-on-one counseling.

Medicare General Medicare questions and the MDPP supplier finder. 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227)https://www.medicare.gov/talk-to-someone medicare.gov

GeorgiaCares (Georgia SHIP) Free, unbiased Medicare counseling from trained Georgia counselors. 1-866-552-4464 https://acl.gov/programs/connecting-people-services/state-health-insurance-assistance-program-ship aging.georgia.gov

CDC Diabetes Prevention Recognition Program Registry of CDC-recognized diabetes prevention programs. cdc.gov

Learn More

Find personalized help understanding your Georgia Medicare diabetes-prevention options at brevy.com.

References

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