Ed Tepper: Fighting Against Dexcom Medicare Restrictions

Posted on November 30, 2017 by Laddie

Negotiations between Dexcom and CMS addressing the requirement that Medicare beneficiaries use only the Dexcom receiver have reportedly not been going well. Diabetes Patient Advocacy Coalition (DPAC) has organized a campaign to lobby our congressional representatives to have this policy changed through legislative action. To read an overview of the issue and easily contact your members of Congress, download the DPAC app on your phone or tablet or go to the DPAC website.

Ed Tepper of Glen Allen, Virginia is affected by the smart device restriction and has chosen to advocate for change. Coming from a family with a strong history of Type 2 diabetes, Ed was diagnosed with T2D 11 years ago. After developing neuropathy in his feet, Ed worked with his endocrinologist to intensively manage his blood sugars using insulin therapy in conjunction with a CGM. In addition to being an outspoken advocate for people with diabetes, Ed is an active cyclist and triathlete.

Here is Ed in his own words followed by the informative presentation he shared with one of Senator Tim Kaine’s staffers.

Ed Tepper: This morning I had a 10 minute meeting with one of the staffers for Sen. Tim Kaine (D-VA). The attached file is the presentation I left with him. It was a good meeting. There is a strong history of diabetes in the staffer’s family and he was genuinely interested in the technology. He promised me that he would forward the document to Sen Kaine’s health lead and would email me within a few weeks. I’ll follow up if I don’t here from him by year-end. By the way, Sen. Kaine is on the senate heath committee so he may have some influence there. Keep bugging your senators and representatives about this issue. (11/28/17)

Ed’s Presentation:

Medicare’s restrictive policies regarding Continuous Glucose Monitors put seniors at risk and potentially raise the overall cost of diabetes management.

Meeting with Marc Cheatham, Staffer for Senator Tim Kaine of Virginia. November 28, 2017.

Disclosure: I am an individual who is living with diabetes and is concerned that Medicare’s restrictive policies regarding the use of CGM’s will adversely impact my ability to stay healthy. I am not employed or otherwise associated with any company that manufactures or distributes CGM’s or related items. I am currently covered by Medicare Part A, Part B and Part D and have a Medicare Supplement policy.

What is a Continuous Glucose Monitor (“CGM”)?

A CGM is an FDA approved device that provides continuous insight into glucose levels throughout the day and night. The device displays information about current glucose levels and the direction and speed of change, providing users additional information to help with their diabetes management. The CGM consists of three components: the sensor that is inserted subcutaneously, the transmitter that sends data from the sensor to a receiver, and the receiver.

To Medicare’s credit, in 2017 they started covering the cost of one model of CGM, the Dexcom G5. However, they have place restrictions on how we must use the CGM that causes undue inconvenience and creates dangerous situations for Medicare recipient users.

I have been using the Dexcom G5 CGM for about 2 years now (before being covered by Medicare starting September 1, 2017). I started using the CGM because I developed neuropathy in my feet and in consultation with my endocrinologist decided that I needed to maintain better control over my blood glucose levels. Using the CGM has helped me understand how insulin, food, & exercise affect my glucose levels and I’ve learned to adjust the three to maintain a more equal levels of blood glucose throughout the day. It also alerts me when my glucose levels are lower or higher than I want or are falling or rising too fast.

Medicare Prohibits the Use of Available FDA Approved Technology

Before being covered by Medicare, I used the FDA approved Dexcom smart phone app and an FDA approved integrated insulin pump to read the CGM data. Medicare has taken those options away from me and now I can only use the receiver that comes from the CGM manufacturer. In addition to the inconvenience of having to carry and care for another piece of equipment, not being allowed to use smart phone and integrated pump technology can create health hazards for Medicare recipients using a CGM.

By denying access to the CGM data generated by the transmitter to any device except the receiver, the ability to remotely monitor or alternately alarm the person with diabetes is prohibited. This becomes a significant safety issue, such as:

–Caregivers cannot use the Dexcom Follow App, which allows up to 5 people to remotely view CGM data. The Dexcom Follow App can alarm the caregiver when blood glucose levels are out of the accepted safe range so that the caregiver can immediately contact the person with diabetes (or emergency personnel) to prevent severe hyper- or hypoglycemia.

–People with diabetes cannot use the Dexcom G5 Mobile App, which shows real-time data on a smartphone or tablet with the ability to create custom volume alarms and vibrations.

–People with diabetes cannot use a smartwatch to access either app. The smartwatch will vibrate on an individual’s wrist when the blood glucose is outside of a safe range. For individuals who are deaf, hard-of-hearing, or asleep, the haptic (small vibrations on the wearer’s wrist) is needed to ensure that they respond to the alarm.

–Integration of CGM data into insulin pumps is prohibited for people on Medicare, which is currently available for the rest of the diabetes community. As the pathway to hybrid- or closed-loop artificial pancreas technology needs CGM data to be effective, CMS is preventing Medicare beneficiaries from using CGM integrated insulin delivery devices to stay safe.

These restrictions have already caused life threatening situations in real life.

For example:

Kim H. of Pennsylvania reported to me: “My t1[Type 1 diabetic] husband has a traumatic brain injury. He doesn’t remember how to use the receiver and I must let him keep it at times if I am more than 30 feet from him. He pushes buttons and has entered incorrect bg [blood glucose] numbers making the CGM data incorrect! I need to have control using my iPhone for proper data and effectiveness as I am his 24/7 caregiver.”

Jenny S. of California told me: “I have been legally blind from premature birth & although I can still see I am extremely nearsighted. Seeing a smart phone screen is a whole lot easier than the Dexcom receiver. I already have a phone, so why should I be forced to use a $700 receiver that is very hard to see?”

For me being restricted to using the Dexcom receiver is a real issue when I’m outside. I’m an avid cyclist and triathlete and I’m very hypoglycemic unaware. That means that I cannot feel having low blood glucose levels until the levels approach being dangerously low. Pre-Medicare I used the phone app because it sync’d to my sports watch which vibrated when the app triggered low glucose alerts giving me advanced warning that my blood glucose levels were falling and I needed to eat. The Dexcom receiver is difficult to read in bright daylight and its alarms are not as noticeable when exercising. Since being on Medicare, I’ve been surprised by low glucose levels more than once while cycling. That’s a very dangerous situation because I could lose the ability to control the bike and … well the results wouldn’t be pretty.

CGM’s Can Reduce Overall Costs.

The Economic Cost of Diabetes is Staggering and Growing.

According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, National Diabetes Statistics Report, 2017, (“CDCP Report”) the cost of diabetes care in 2012 was $245 Billion. The American Diabetes Association (“ADA”) estimates the current cost at $322 Billion per year.

Emergency room visits in 2014 included 245,000 cases for hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and 207,000 visits for hyperglycemia (high blood sugar). That’s almost one-half million emergency room visits for diabetes care. (Source: CDCP Report).

The ADA estimates that 30 million Americans are affected by diabetes, that’s 1 in 11 Americans.

Complications people living with diabetes can suffer include: Stroke, Blindness, Kidney Disease, Heart Disease and Loss of Toes, Feet or Legs.

Use of a Continuous Glucose Monitor (“CGM”) can reduce the onset of complications and reduce overall cost of diabetes care.

The Consensus Statement of the American Academy of Clinical Endocrinologists & the American College of Endocrinology (Vol. 22, Issue 8, August 2016) states:

“CGM improves glycemic control, reduces hypoglycemia and may reduce the overall cost of diabetes management. Expanding CGM coverage and utilization is likely to improve the health outcomes of people with diabetes.”

As reported by the National Institute Health, the report “The Impact of Real-Time Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Patients 65 Years and Older” concluded that “restrictive access to … CGM in the Medicare age population may have deleterious health, economic, and QOL [Quality of Life] consequences.”

HERE’S THE ASK:

Medicare must change its restrictive, dangerous policies regarding the use of CGM’s. It must allow the use of available technology approved by the FDA, including smart phones and watches and integrated insulin pumps. It must cover all CGM’s approved by the FDA, not only the Dexcom G5. It must make the changes NOW.

Feel Good Stories about Medicare CGM Coverage

Posted on November 13, 2017 by Laddie

Although those of us on Medicare are thankful that CMS now covers the Dexcom G5, many online discussions are angry and focused on the frustrating regulation that we are not allowed to use our smartphones, smart watches, and pumps as receivers. I wrote a blogpost about this in August and unfortunately there have been no changes to the policy. In fact the most recent news indicates that legislative action might be required to pull Medicare into the 21st century and mobile health technology.

Today I don’t want to write about gloom and doom. I want to focus on good things and how CGM coverage is improving the lives of many Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes. Without fail D-people are finding the Dexcom G5 to be a life-changing device that helps them monitor blood sugar trends along with receiving warnings of highs and lows. Universally CGM users are learning new things about their diabetes and several have experienced huge improvements in average blood glucose levels and A1c’s. Those who are using a Dexcom CGM for the first time mention a reduction in fear and a new ability to feel “almost normal.”

One thing that I have learned in recent months is that I need to stop saying “seniors” in connection to Medicare. Several people I’ve communicated with about this article are on Medicare due to disability and are not yet 65 years old. At the same time, most of us in the Seniors with sensors (CGM’s) Facebook group are 65+ and have lived with diabetes for a long time.

Here are some stories.

Carol W

Carol W and I are email friends—the digital age version of pen pals. She has had Type 1 diabetes for 55 years since age 5 and qualified for Medicare 12 years ago due to diabetes-related vision loss. For many years Carol has lived in the no-win zone where she needs tight control to manage current and avoid future complications while trying to avoid life-threatening lows. Carol lives alone and in February had a severe overnight hypo resulting in a hit to her head, two black eyes, and severe leg seizures. She doesn’t remember the fall. Her only recourse at that point was to begin setting an alarm for 3 AM to ensure that she was okay. Although Carol and her doctor knew that a CGM would greatly benefit her, she was unable to afford the device without coverage by Medicare.

Fast forward to today. Carol received her Dexcom G5 kit in September. Unable to get training at her diabetes clinic for at least two months, she overcame her fear of the insertion needle and started her first sensor with a Dexcom trainer coaching her over the telephone. Some of Carol’s remarks illustrate the life-changing benefits of CGM coverage.

In Carol W’s words: “Tiny victory yesterday doing all the things I always need to do and made it through the entire day without any lows/highs or ALL THE TESTING with the meter. Glorious to feel more “normal” – like the days when I didn’t have to test so often. I paid dearly for those days before tight glucose control though. I lost most of my eyesight…. I was able to go play with my neighbor’s one year old yesterday and didn’t have to think about testing. I just checked the receiver. It is truly amazing! I can go outside and garden and just check the receiver. So happy.”

Nolan

I met Nolan through Facebook and we chat periodically through Messenger. Nolan has had Type 1 diabetes for over 50 years. He has used an insulin pump for 25+ years and a CGM for 8+ years. CGM’s have protected Nolan from severe overnight lows and allowed him to sever his relationship with the local EMS and fire department. Because of the importance of a CGM for his safety, Nolan was self-funding his Dexcom for the last two years. This was stressful for the household finances because he is retired with a limited income.

Nolan has experienced the gamut of Medicare CGM experiences. He was one of the few seniors who received G5 supplies from Liberty Medical in the few months that it was the Medicare supplier. Because of no Medicare reimbursement for the starter kit, Nolan was afraid to use the supplies until October when Liberty assured him that he would not be responsible for the cost. A few weeks later Nolan sounded the alarm that “Big Brother is watching” as he got a call from Dexcom indicating that he was on the list of non-compliant seniors using the G5 mobile app. Although he had been using supplies purchased prior to Medicare coverage and thought that was allowed, Nolan learned that we must delete the G5 app from our phone as soon as our Medicare G5 kit is shipped. Violators were warned that if they were flagged again, Dexcom would no longer provide them with Medicare supplies.

In Nolan words: “Some of the CMS / Medicare bureaucratic issues are just plain ‘non-sensical’ but it certainly is not the end of the world…. Due to my age, length of time I’ve had T1D I just can’t sense the very low BG situations and my CGM has been simply a Godsend for me and my wife in that regard. Simply put I consider the G5 CGM to be a lifesaver for me.”

Carol G

Diagnosed at age 41, Carol G has lived with Type 1 diabetes for 31 years. She uses multiple daily injections and had never used a sensor prior to Medicare CGM coverage. She knew that she was losing her ability to sense low blood sugars but was uncomfortable with paying out of pocket for a Dexcom.

Carol has been blown away by what she has learned since starting to use a Dexcom G5 in late August. She immediately began to see rollercoaster highs and lows that she had no idea were happening between finger pricks. Although disappointed that the Omnipod is not covered by Medicare, she is seriously looking at pumps as the best way to smooth out her blood sugar. Carol had an unhappy learning experience twelve days after starting her CGM. She accidentally dropped her receiver into the dishwasher where it irreversibly died! Dexcom offered a one-time receiver replacement cost of $200 and after nine very anxious days, she was back to using her G5.

In Carol G’s words: “My first few days with the G5 were a real eye-opener for me. I couldn’t believe how many spikes and dives my receiver was showing. And how many alerts I received—at all hours of the night. My mind was going a mile a minute. What changes could I make to stop the alerts, and even-out my “hills and valleys”? I had a long phone conversation with my Dr., but realized that I was mostly in charge of this journey…. I met with my PCP recently—the first appointment since getting the G5…. I was thrilled my A1c had dropped two points since my last appointment.”

Lloyd, Kathy, and Sharon

Lloyd has had Type 2 diabetes for 23 years and I shared his story in an October blogpost. Lloyd has been amazed at the accuracy of his new Dexcom G5 and has identified previously unrecognized lows. He finds that the “load” of managing diabetes seem heavier as a senior.

In Lloyd’s words: “Decades of experience, great tools, and the load seems heavier to me. I really wasn’t frustrated when you interviewed me, BUT I AM NOW!… I used to be able to manage D in my sleep, now I’d settle for being successful period.”

Kathy is on Medicare due to disability and has lived a nightmare trying to get CGM coverage since Dexcom does not have a contract with her Advantage plan. She is grateful to have access to supplies comped by Dexcom and is looking for a new insurance plan for 2018. Kathy is the poster child for learning a lot about “her diabetes” through CGM use.

In Kathy’s words: “As a benefit, my bs has dropped from avg 166 down to 127 in 30 days, pretty exciting. The numbers are not as significant to me as the trends: how much to correct highs, dose correctly at the start, toss problem foods, add more protein to each meal. Also a walk uphill drops me 70 points on a straight down double arrow, so its good for me to start a little high.”

Sharon lives with diabetes because of the surgical removal of her pancreas 20 years ago. It took 3 months for her to receive a Dexcom due to the distributor asking for BG logs and doctor notes, then signed logs and signed notes, and finally dated signed logs and dated signed notes. After starting to use a G5, Sharon quickly lowered her A1c from 8.3 to 6.8. She personally is not bothered by the inability to use a smartphone but feels strongly that Medicare beneficiaries deserve access to current technology.

In Sharon’s words: “But there are people who are reliant on family and friends, although going into a nursing home is not a good alternative, cause they’ll just take away our pumps and cgms and put us on a sliding scale. I hope Medicare will get enlightened about Diabetes so we can get to a closed loop solution. Older people can really benefit from this coverage. It is a life-saver.”

Summary

Medicare coverage of continuous glucose monitoring is not perfect. There are wrinkles and delays in obtaining coverage. The inability to use mobile technology is nonsensical. It is frustrating not to be able to use a Tandem X2 pump as a receiver and to not have access to the Dexcom touchscreen receiver. At the same time CGM coverage is life-changing for Medicare beneficiaries with diabetes. Every person who contributed to this post is living with less fear, more safety, and the ability to live a more normal life. Many people are seeing immediate improvements in their diabetes numbers along with a new understanding of the journey that is “their diabetes”.

Yes, there is work to be done. But we are on the right path.