Berlin – September 11, 2026 -- Diabetes can silently damage the eyes years before patients notice any change in their vision, yet new data show barely half of people with type 2 diabetes get the recommended eye exam. To close that gap, German health insurer mkk - meine krankenkasse now offers its members a free eye screening from Skleo Health at participating opticians and drugstores.
About seven million adults in Germany live with known or undiagnosed diabetes, according to the Robert Koch Institute. One serious complication is diabetic retinopathy, damage to the tiny blood vessels in the retina caused by diabetes duration, high blood sugar, and hypertension. Retinal changes can develop long before someone experiences blurred vision or other symptoms.
Only 47.3 percent of diabetics outside structured care get eye checks
An analysis of mkk insurance data covering 41,944 members enrolled in a Disease Management Program (DMP) and 17,060 without one found major gaps. Within a 24-month period, only 68 percent of DMP-enrolled patients had a documented eye exam, while just 47.3 percent of those outside the program did. Germany's National Care Guideline for type 2 diabetes recommends an annual or biennial ophthalmological check depending on individual risk, and North Rhine-Westphalia's own DMP sets a target rate of at least 90 percent for retinal exams.
Andrea Galle, board member at mkk - meine krankenkasse, said prevention needs to reach people where they are rather than waiting for them to seek it out. She noted that even within structured treatment programs, nearly a third of patients go two years without an eye exam, and outside those programs it's less than half.
Patients often wait more than three months for an ophthalmologist appointment
Access to specialist care adds another barrier. A 2025 study on AI-assisted diabetic retinopathy screening found that most surveyed general practitioners reported their patients typically wait over three months for an eye specialist appointment.
The scan takes only a few minutes at opticians and drugstores
Skleo Health's screening captures retinal images that are analyzed by AI across 12 retinal markers, then validated by ophthalmologists. Participants receive a personal results report, and if abnormalities are flagged, Skleo's network can arrange timely follow-up with an eye specialist. The check takes just a few minutes, and mkk covers the full cost for its insured members. The screening supplements but does not replace regular ophthalmological exams recommended for people with diabetes.