Last Fall, I was at Starbucks awaiting the barista to say my name and hand me my morning coffee. As I was waiting, a customer behind me yelled out "Hey, a Dexcom!" as she pointed to the back of my arm (sorry, FDA). I smiled and turned and we began to chat about diabetes and how amazing CGMs are. I mentioned how much I love being able to see my blood sugar on my Apple Watch, and she frowned. You see - her husband just bought her an Apple Watch for her birthday so she could see her blood sugar too, but at the time, CMS did not allow Medicare patients to use their smartphones in conjunction with the CGM.
But that has changed, as of June 12th, 2018.
“CMS heard from numerous stakeholders who shared their concerns that Medicare’s CGM coverage policy limited their use of CGMs in conjunction with their smartphones, preventing them from sharing data with family members, physicians and caregivers,” CMS said in a statement.
“After a thorough review of the law and our regulations, CMS is announcing that Medicare’s published coverage policy for CGMs will be modified to support the use of CGMs in conjunction with a smartphone, including the important data-sharing function they provide for patients and their families.”
As a diabetes educator, were you aware of this policy? Did you see this coming? How will this updated policy affect YOUR patients?
For more information about this policy, click here: https://www.ajmc.com/newsroom/cms-to-allow-smartphones-to-connect-with-cgm-for-medicare-beneficiaries.