In its thematic issue dedicated to diabetes, Health Affairs highlights this disease and its toll on individuals, the health care system, and society as a whole. Central to this issue is a discussion on the tremendous cost of diabetes, both in terms of monetary cost and personal livelihood. In addition to cost factors, the January issue also emphasizes the need for further research as more strains of diabetes are likely to surface. Journal articles suggest that not only do researchers need to study the various forms of diabetes and treatment options, but they should also work to advance evidence-based prevention strategies. At this morning’s Health Affairs briefing, Surgeon General Regina Benjamin stressed the value that can be found at the intersection of science, research, and information, and she called upon health care practitioners to translate this evidence base into practice: “[T]he emphasis is really on us to encourage our patients to take control of their own health and to do the things that prevent them from getting diabetes in the first place…We want people to enjoy being healthy.” The January issue features work from the following AcademyHealth members: The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force Should Consider a Broader Evidence Base in Updating its Diabetes Screening Clifford Goodman The Affordable Care Act Lays the Groundwork for a National Diabetes Prevention and Treatment Strategy Kenneth E. Thorpe A Pay-For-Performance Program in Taiwan Improved Care for Some Diabetes Patients, But Doctors May have Excluded Sicker Ones David Clark Aron Group Visits Hold Great Potential for Improving Diabetes Care and Outcomes, but Best Practices Must be Developed Eileen T. O’Grady Medicare Advantage Chronic Special Needs Plan Boosted Primary Care, Reduced Hospital Use Among Diabetes Patients Robb Cohen An Integrated Pharmacy-Based Program Improved Medication Prescription and Adherence Rates in Diabetes Patients Troyen A. Brennan and Niteesh K. Choudhry Physicians’ Actions and Influence, Such as Aggressive Blood Pressure Control, Greatly Improve the Health of Diabetes Patients Bradley Gray, Weifeng Weng, and Rebecca S. Lipner Gaps in Quality of Diabetes Care in Internal Medicine Residency Clinics Suggest the Need for Better Ambulatory Care Training Brian J. Hess, Weifeng Weng, and Rebecca S. Lipner Medicaid Expansion Under Health Reform May Increase Service Use and Improve Access for Low-Income Adults with Diabetes Rachel L. Garfield Early Lessons from an Initiative on Chicago’s South Side to Reduce Disparities in Diabetes Care and Outcomes Robert S. Nocon, Michael T. Quinn, and Marshall H. Chin State Medicaid Programs Did Not Make Use of Prior Authorization to Promote Safer Prescribing After Rosiglitazone Warning Joseph S. Ross, Harlan M. Krumholz, Victor Montori, Judy Zerzan, and Nilay Shah Value-Based Purchasing for Hospitals Patrick Conway Helping Hospitals Improve: The Authors Reply Ashish K. Jha and Arnold M. Epstein Alcohol Dependence: The Authors Reply Carrie Farmer The Affordable Care Act Without the Mandate Mark A. Hall Health Affairs is an official journal of AcademyHealth.