OBJECTIVES: Diabetes type 2 is a major health problem with severe complications and a significant impact on quality of life. International guidelines, developed to provide better care and to prevent complications, are difficult to translate into daily practice. Especially the lack of prevention of retinopathy and nephropathy through frequent screening are a current concern. The aim of this study is to assess the minimum impact a program at a pre-specified policy defined cost, supporting general practitioners to put recommendations into daily clinical practice, has to achieve to be cost-effective. METHODS: We estimated the minimum number of patients, with a mean age of 65 years, that should be screened annually for respectively retinopathy and nephropathy, for the program at an implementation cost of €195 per patient, to be cost-effective. For both complications, a Markov model, adapted from published peer-reviewed models, was developed simulating the evolution of a patients cohort with type 2 diabetes over 25 years with cycles of 1 year. A public health care payer perspective in a Belgian setting was chosen. Transition probabilities were obtained from local epidemiological studies and published trials. Cost data of the different states were collected from literature and from the National Institute for Health and Disability Insurance. Utility data for all states were obtained from published studies. A ratio of €30,000/QALY was used as threshold of willingness to pay for health gain. RESULTS: We found for nephropathy a net-saving cost of €6500/QALY when there is only an increase in annual screening of 10%. For retinopathy we found a net price of €1005 but no health gain. CONCLUSIONS: A scientific program in a Belgian setting with a given implementation cost of €195 per patient and a minimum increase in screening in the intervention group, would be cost-effective in the prevention of nephropathy and retinopathy.