Diabetes Dialogue: CMS Expansion Ushers in New Age of CGM Access

On March 2, the diabetes community took a major step forward with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announcement of expansion of their continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) access coverage for people with diabetes.¹

The policy update, which expanded coverage to include insulin users with diabetes and traditional Medicare coverage and people with diabetes not using with a history of problematic hypoglycemia, is scheduled to go into effect on April 16, 2023.¹

Less than a week later, the community welcomed more transformative news in the world of diabetes technology with Abbott’s announcement of a new clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration for their FreeStyle Libre sensors.² Announced by Abbott on March 6, the US Food and Drug Administration’s clearance of the FreeStyle Libre 2 and FreeStyle Libre 3 allows for integration with automated insulin delivery systems opens the door for a seismic shift in the realm of patient choice in diabetes technology. In their announcement, Abbott noted the rollout of modified sensors was expected later this year and the company also called attention to several ongoing partnerships with leading pump manufacturers, both within and outside of the US.²

In this special edition in-studio version of Diabetes Dialogue: Technology, Therapeutics, and Real-World Perspectives, hosts Diana Isaacs, PharmD, an endocrine clinical pharmacist and cooridnator of the Remote Monitoring Program at the Cleveland Clinic, and Natalie Bellini, DNP, an endocrine nurse practitioner at R&B Medical Group, offer insight and perspective into what the news regarding the CMS expansion of CGM coverage means for people with diabetes, providers, and diabetes care and education specialists. Later in the episode, hosts take a deep dive into the announcement from Abbott and what this new clearance means for patients.

All episodes of Diabetes Dialogue: Technology, Therapeutics, & Real-World Perspectives is available in an audio-only format on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

References

1. Glucose Monitor - policy article. CMS.gov Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/article.aspx?articleid=52464&ver=49&contractorName=all&sortBy=updated&bc=13. Accessed March 17, 2023.
2. Campbell P. Freestyle Libre sensors cleared for integration with automated insulin delivery systems. HCP Live. https://www.hcplive.com/view/freestyle-libre-cleared-for-integration-with-automated-insulin-delivery-systems. Published March 6, 2023. Accessed March 17, 2023.