Schumer to launch diabetes testing program

Senator Chuck Schumer has chosen Rochester to unveil a landmark package to expand screening and early treatment measures in regards to diabetes.

Schumer says there is a diabetes epidemic sweeping across the Rochester area, which is increasingly afflicting children. The epidemic is also creating a looming health care and financial crunch. The proposed package would also help fight childhood obesity and improve coverage for essential care measures that include insulin, education and medical exams.

An estimated 54-thousand residents in the area suffer from diabetes. That's an estimated 50-percent increase since 1999. About 27-percent of children are also battling obesity and are prone to developing the disease later in life.

Senator Schumer will be holding a press conference at the American Diabetes Association in Brighton, turn to News 8 Now and RochesterHomepage.net for more details. .