Medicare Will Now Provide Coverage for Certain Continuous Glucose Monitors Following Longtime Effort by Senator Collins

January 12, 2017

Contact: Annie Clark /Christopher Knight 202-224-2523

Following a Longtime Effort from U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Medicare Will Now Provide Coverage for Certain Continuous Glucose Monitors

Senator Collins, who founded the Senate Diabetes Caucus in 1997, has long urged Medicare to change its policy and provide coverage for this effective, lifesaving device that helps the 1.2 million Americans living with Type I diabetes manage their disease

Washington, D.C. -- U.S. Senator Susan Collins, the Chairman of the Senate Aging Committee and founder of the Senate Diabetes Caucus, released the following statement after the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that Medicare will now provide coverage for certain continuous glucose monitors (CGMs). CGMs are devices used by individuals with Type 1 diabetes to control their blood glucose levels, which is key to preventing costly and sometimes deadly diabetes complications.

"Today's announcement will help transform the lives of the millions of Americans who are living with Type 1 diabetes, and who rely on a continuous glucose monitor to successfully manage the disease," said Senator Collins.

"Prior to this much-needed rule change, thousands of insulin-dependent Medicare beneficiaries were denied coverage for this potentially lifesaving device based on an improper and outdated policy. Although numerous private insurance plans already provide this coverage, many older Americans did not have access to CGMs when they aged into Medicare because they couldn't afford to pay for them out-of-pocket. I am so pleased that our advocacy has spurred this change in policy that will help change our country's future with regard to diabetes and immediately address the explosive growth in the financial and human tolls of this epidemic."

Senator Collins, along with her Diabetes Caucus co-chair Senator Jeanne Shaheen, introduced The Medicare CGM Access Act in 2014 to create a separate benefit category under Medicare for the continuous glucose monitor and require coverage of the device for individuals meeting specified medical criteria.