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The rules say that plans must pay for a medical service or item if regular Medicare would pay for it in this case.
You can find this rule at 42 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) Section 422.101.
The rules say that Medicare pays for therapeutic continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) when they are medically
reasonable and necessary. Therapeutic CGMs are defined in CMS Ruling 1682R. You can find these rules in
Local Coverage Article A52464, effective on and after January 12, 2017.
CGMs consist of three components: a glucose sensor, a transmitter, and a receiver. CGMs are considered
therapeutic CGMs if they are:
- approved by the FDA for use in place of a blood glucose monitor for making diabetes treatment
decisions (for example, changes in diet and insulin dosage);
- generally not useful to the individual in the absence of an illness or injury;
- appropriate for use in the home; and
- those which include a durable component that can withstand repeated use, are expected to last at least
three years, and are capable of displaying the trending of the continuous glucose measurements.
The rules also say that a CGM which does not replace a blood glucose monitor for making diabetes treatment
decisions is not covered. You can find these rules in CMS Ruling 1682R.
The rules say continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) devices covered by Medicare under the DME benefit are
defined in CMS Ruling 1682R as therapeutic CGMs. Refer to the Non-Medical Necessity Coverage and
Payment Rules in the LCD-related Policy Article for additional information. Therapeutic CGMs and related
supplies are covered by Medicare when all of the following coverage criteria (1-6) are met:
1. The beneficiary has diabetes mellitus (Refer to the "ICD-10 Codes that are Covered" section of the LCDrelated
Policy Article, A52464, for applicable diagnoses); and,
2. The beneficiary has been using a blood glucose monitor (BGM) and performing frequent (four or more
times a day) testing; and,
3. The beneficiary is insulin-treated with multiple (three or more) daily injections of insulin or a Medicarecovered
continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion (CSII) pump; and,
4. The beneficiary's insulin treatment regimen requires frequent adjustment by the beneficiary on the basis of
BGM or CGM testing results; and,
5. Within six (6) months prior to ordering the CGM, the treating practitioner has an in-person visit with the
beneficiary to evaluate their diabetes control and determined that criteria (1-4) above are met; and,
6. Every six (6) months following the initial prescription of the CGM, the treating practitioner has an inperson
visit with the beneficiary to assess adherence to their CGM regimen and diabetes treatment plan.
When a therapeutic CGM (code K0554) is covered, the related supply allowance (code K0553) is also covered.
If any of coverage criteria (1-6) are not met, the CGM and related supply allowance will be denied as not
reasonable and necessary.
Home blood glucose monitors with special features (HCPCS codes E2100, E2101) are covered when the basic
coverage criteria are met and the treating practitioner certifies that the beneficiary has a severe visual
impairment (i.e., best corrected visual acuity of 20/200 or worse in both eyes) requiring use of this special
monitoring system.
You can find this information in Local Coverage Determination, Glucose Monitors, L33822.
If you want to read these Medicare rules, you can go to this website www.medicareappeal.com.
The Plan contract says that the Plan covers items and services in accordance with Medicare rules.