What the MDPP Digital Collaborative is
On November 12, 2026, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center announced the Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program (MDPP) Digital Collaborative. In CMS’s words, MDPP “launched a digital collaborative to unite suppliers dedicated to increasing access to MDPP through digital delivery methods,” and “the goal of the digital collaborative is to increase the reach of the program’s benefits of prevention and patient empowerment.”
The need is large. CMS notes that roughly 16 million Americans with prediabetes qualify for MDPP, yet fewer than 10,000 currently take part. Participating suppliers have committed to enrolling newly eligible Medicare beneficiaries between January 2026 and May 2027. In return, CMS provides monthly technical assistance and facilitates peer-to-peer sharing of best practices across the group.
Unika Health is a participating supplier
Unika Health is one of 22 MDPP suppliers nationwide taking part in the collaborative. Medicare lists Unika Health on the collaborative’s official supplier list, which links beneficiaries directly to unika.health/dpp.
Unika Health is a private company, not a government agency. As an enrolled MDPP supplier, Unika delivers the program under Medicare’s requirements and has committed to the collaborative’s goal of reaching more beneficiaries through digital delivery. For people who live far from an in-person class, work irregular hours, or simply prefer to learn from home, that means a Medicare-covered program they can complete entirely online.
What this means for Medicare beneficiaries
- $0 cost for eligible beneficiaries. Original Medicare Part B covers the full program for beneficiaries who meet MDPP eligibility criteria, with no copay and no deductible. Some Medicare Advantage plans also cover it.
- Fully online. Sessions, coaching, and progress tracking happen in the Unika app, with no in-person visits required.
- CDC PreventT2 curriculum. Unika’s yearlong program is CDC-recognized and follows the CDC’s PreventT2 lifestyle change curriculum, which targets modest weight loss and more physical activity to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- A personal lifestyle coach and a smart scale. Each participant works with a dedicated coach, and a connected smart scale is sent to their home so weight syncs to the app automatically.
Who is eligible
Medicare sets the eligibility criteria for MDPP. In general, a beneficiary qualifies with:
- Original Medicare Part B, or a Medicare Advantage plan that covers MDPP
- A blood test in the last 12 months showing prediabetes: A1C 5.7–6.4%, fasting glucose 110–125 mg/dL, or 2-hour glucose tolerance 140–199 mg/dL
- A body mass index (BMI) of 25 or higher, or 23 or higher if Asian
- No diagnosis of type 1 or type 2 diabetes, no End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD), and no previous MDPP participation
The eligibility check on the Diabetes Prevention Program page takes about three minutes and does not require a credit card.
Sources
Medicare Diabetes Prevention Program and MDPP refer to the program administered by CMS. Unika Health, Inc. is a private company and is not a government agency. This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice.
See if you qualify for Unika’s Medicare-covered program.
Eligible Original Medicare Part B beneficiaries pay $0. Check your eligibility online in about three minutes.