Today I am going to talk about continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). This is a topic I have addressed in the past, but it is a rapidly evolving field and I believe it is important that you understand how CGM is used in diabetes management.
The incredibly good news is that Medicare has finally approved reimbursement for CGM for seniors. This has been a battle we have been fighting and advocating for a long time, because until now, when my patients reached the age of 65, they suddenly had to give up their CGMs. This seemed incredibly bad for the patient, because it is our older patients who have more episodes of hypoglycemia. CGM is a great tool for patients because they can monitor for impending episodes of hypoglycemia and do something to prevent them.
The approval that Medicare has given is for CGM systems that are in essence strip replacement. To gain Medicare approval, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had to give the device an indication as a replacement for fingerstick testing. The only device currently FDA-approved for this indication is the Dexcom G5® system.
Fingerstick replacement means that patients do not have to prick their fingers to get a blood glucose value every time they dose insulin.
COMMENTARY
Two 'Incredibly Useful' Tools for Managing Diabetes
Anne L. Peters, MD
DisclosuresSeptember 07, 2017
Today I am going to talk about continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). This is a topic I have addressed in the past, but it is a rapidly evolving field and I believe it is important that you understand how CGM is used in diabetes management.
The incredibly good news is that Medicare has finally approved reimbursement for CGM for seniors. This has been a battle we have been fighting and advocating for a long time, because until now, when my patients reached the age of 65, they suddenly had to give up their CGMs. This seemed incredibly bad for the patient, because it is our older patients who have more episodes of hypoglycemia. CGM is a great tool for patients because they can monitor for impending episodes of hypoglycemia and do something to prevent them.
The approval that Medicare has given is for CGM systems that are in essence strip replacement. To gain Medicare approval, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) had to give the device an indication as a replacement for fingerstick testing. The only device currently FDA-approved for this indication is the Dexcom G5® system.
Fingerstick replacement means that patients do not have to prick their fingers to get a blood glucose value every time they dose insulin.
Medscape Diabetes © 2017 WebMD, LLC
Any views expressed above are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of WebMD or Medscape.
Cite this: Two 'Incredibly Useful' Tools for Managing Diabetes - Medscape - Sep 07, 2017.
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Authors and Disclosures
Authors and Disclosures
Author
Anne L. Peters, MD
Professor of Clinical Medicine; Director, Clinical Diabetes Programs, Keck School of Medicine, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, California
Disclosure: Anne L. Peters, MD, has disclosed the following financial relationships:
Served as director, officer, partner, employee, advisor, consultant, or trustee for: (current consultant): Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; Novo Nordisk
Served as a speaker or member of a speakers bureau for: (current speakers bureau member): Amylin Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Eli Lilly and Company; Novo Nordisk; Takeda Pharmaceuticals North America, Inc.
Served as a consultant or ad hoc speaker/consultant for: AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP; Abbott Laboratories; Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc.; Bristol-Myers Squibb Company; Dexcom; Medtronic MiniMed, Inc.; Merck & Co., Inc.; Roche; sanofi-aventis