Does Medicare Cover Diabetes Prevention? Here's Exactly What's Included

In this article: 

• The National Diabetes Statistics Reports says that more than half of adults over age 60 have prediabetes, which is higher than normal blood sugar, but lower than in diabetes.
• The Diabetes Prevention Program has been shown to prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes through healthy lifestyle changes and goals of losing weight and increasing physical activity levels.  
• The Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) is specifically designed for seniors. It’s a covered benefit for eligible Medicare beneficiaries. It’s a year-long program with a curriculum to support long-term, sustainable small changes that can help lower blood sugar. 
• In 2026, virtual or online MDPP are included in coverage for many Medicare recipients. That means you can participate in the program from anywhere you want, at any time.
• Lark offers a virtual MDPP that you can participate in with your smartphone. It’s available 24/7 for coaching, support, encouragement, and information. 

Knowing that you have prediabetes can feel stressful, but it’s also information that you can use to your benefit. Prediabetes is a warning sign that your blood sugar is high, and there’s still time to improve blood sugar with lifestyle changes such as losing extra weight and being more physically active. 

If you’re wondering, “Does Medicare cover diabetes prevention?” the answer is, “yes!” 

Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) is a covered benefit for eligible seniors with Medicare Type B and Medicare Advantage. It’s a research-backed program to support you in making changes - such as which foods to choose and ways to add them to your routine, how you might add physical activity to your day, and accountability for weight loss. Here’s Medicare covers for prediabetes.

How Can Seniors Prevent Diabetes? 

Blood sugar naturally rises as we age. More than half of adults over age 65 have prediabetes, according to the National Diabetes Statistics Report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). But having prediabetes doesn’t put you on an unchangeable path to diabetes - even if you’re a senior. 

Lifestyle changes can prevent or delay the onset of type 2 diabetes - and the benefits may be even greater among seniors!

A landmark study from the National Institutes of Health included participants who were overweight and had blood sugar levels that placed them in the prediabetes range. Participants were given goals of losing 5-10 percent of body weight, and working up to at least 150 minutes per week of moderate to vigorous-intensity exercise. That’s it - no dramatic diets or lifestyle overhauls.

This lifestyle change program had positive results. Compared to similar individuals who were overweight and had prediabetes, but who weren’t in the study, participants had a 58% lower risk of being diagnosed with diabetes during the 3-year follow-up. Even more impressive was that seniors in the study had a 71% lower risk!

It’s clear that a diagnosis of prediabetes doesn’t always mean you’ll be diagnosed with diabetes soon - and that you have a chance to take charge! The MDPP helps with eating well, losing extra weight if you have it, and being more physically active to help you lower blood sugar and diabetes risk. And it’s fully covered for eligible Medicare recipients!

What’s in the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP)?

Remember that landmark study discussed above? Those same weight and physical activity goals, and the same emphasis on modest lifestyle changes, are the focus in what’s called the Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) from the CDC. And the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) is a version of the DPP that’s designed specifically for seniors. 

The MDPP is a year-long program. 

Here’s what else is included in the MDPP.

• A curriculum with 16 Core Sessions in the first 6 months, and additional Maintenance Sessions in months 7-12. Information and tips are on crucial topics to help you make healthier choices on a daily basis, including Carbohydrates, Physical Activity, Stress Management, Grocery Shopping.
• Weigh-ins to track progress and stay accountable. With a smart scale from Lark, weights are automatically sent to your digital coach.
• Meal and activity logging. In Lark, you can log meals and workouts, sync select devices to Lark so your digital coach knows your information, and chat anytime about your meals.
• A coach-led program to give you expert support and personalized help. With Lark’s digital program, you can also connect with a live CDC-certified lifestyle coach when you need to.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) certifies MDPP providers only when they meet rigorous standards. 

Can You Take the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program Online?

In the digital era, even healthcare has moved online - think about video chats with your doctor, healthcare portals where you can see lab results and schedule appointments, and resource libraries you can access from your smartphone. Now it’s the same with the diabetes prevention program covered by Medicare. 

For the first time in 2026, CMS has increased coverage for the MDPP to accommodate daily realities for seniors. There’s no longer an in-person component required - no need to commute for a weekly appointment, find childcare, or schedule your session around work or caregiving. This year, CMS even lets MDPP sessions be offered “asynchronously” - so you can complete sessions anytime that’s convenient for you instead of being required to attend or log in at a predetermined time and date. 

With Lark, you can complete your sessions when and where it works for you - your Lark coach is always available! In addition, Lark’s designed for optimum impact. For example, curriculum is delivered in small chunks to support microlearning - learning key facts and tips when you need them rather than burdening you with long lectures. Lark’s approachable, friendly, and easy to use, even if you’re not tech-savvy. 

Just like small healthy changes that fit into your lifestyle, using Lark can fit right into your lifestyle - so it can be a habit that leads to lasting behavior change and health improvements.

The Bottom Line: Accessible Medicare Covers Diabetes Prevention at Cost to You

If you’re eligible, MDPP is available at no cost to you. It’s a diabetes prevention program covered by Medicare. Since it’s a preventive service, there are no hidden fees, copays, or deductibles. 

The program’s even more accessible when you use an online provider like Lark. You can complete the sessions on your schedule and using your smartphone - whether you’re at home, at work, or anywhere else. You can talk to your Lark digital coach any time for compassionate, judgement-free, and informative help - and a human touch is available if you need one! 

Eligibility for Medicare DPP:  Do You Qualify? 

If you’re eligible for MDPP, it’s a covered benefit - offered at no cost to you. Here are the basic eligibility requirements of MDPP. 

• Enrolled in Medicare Part B or Part C (Medicare Advantage)
• Have a qualifying blood test result within the past 12 months (see the table below)
• Must have a BMI of 25 or higher (or 23 or higher if the beneficiary self-identifies as Asian)

There’s one more critical piece of information: there’s no lifetime limit of 1 MDPP per person per lifetime! That means you can re-enroll in MDPP even if you’ve gone through it before. It’s a chance to reinforce lifestyle changes that you already made - or to go through the program again to see how it can help you.

There are some exclusionary criteria for MDPP - you’re not eligible if you have a previous diagnosis of Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes or end-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD).

See If You Qualify at No Cost to You

Lark's Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program offers personal health coaching delivered right to your phone - built around the same CDC-recognized program that showed a 71% risk reduction in adults over 60. There is no cost to eligible Medicare members. 

Lark can help you stay on track with your weight and health goals as you log, track, and chat. Your Lark coach is available 24/7 for encouragement, nutrition and physical activity coaching, and habit tracking. Lark can help you make healthy choices and establish habits that fit into your lifestyle so you can lose weight and keep it off with or without GLP-1 medications. 

Click here to see if you may be eligible to join Lark MDPP or another Lark program today!