Annual healthcare expenditures for people with diabetes averaged $13,243 in 2001, an increase of more than 30 percent since 1997. In contrast, annual healthcare expenditures for people without diabetes averaged $2,560 in the same year. This indicates that people with diabetes incur roughly 5 times more healthcare costs per year than people without diabetes.

In Utah, diabetes affects approximately 5.4 percent of the population - or 120,000 people. Studies indicate that nearly one third of these people are currently unaware that they have the disease. In 2000 the total cost of diabetes in Utah surpassed $1 billion. Utahns with diabetes account for 15 percent of healthcare costs while representing only 5 percent of the population.

There is hope for controlling and reducing the clinical complications of diabetes and reducing the associated costs. Several landmark studies have concluded that the key to successful diabetes management is to provide education about the disease to physicians, other care providers and people with diabetes.