Pasco Reporter

-25% of Veterans have diabetes --More than twice as high as general population-

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The co-chairs of the Congressional Diabetes Caucus, U.S. Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) and  Diana DeGette (D-CO) sent a letter today to the head of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) urging the agency to revise its current coverage criteria for Continuous Glucose Monitors.  The goals is for more Veterans with diabetes to have access to the promising new technology that is helping millions of people across the country better manage the disease.  The request comes in response to a recent decision by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to cover the cost of Continuous Glucose Monitors for patients covered by Medicare, regardless of how often they are required to use insulin.

Under current VA guidelines, continuous glucose monitors are only offered to Veterans who are required to inject insulin at least three times a day.  By calling on the VA to make the monitors available to all Veterans with diabetes, the lawmakers point to a growing amount of research that shows patients, regardless of how often they take insulin, are benefitting from the use of continuous monitors that show their glucose levels in real time to help them better manage the disease.

 “The overwhelming consensus is that there is clinical benefit for persons with diabetes mellitus administering basal insulin to use [Continuous Glucose Monitor] technology to manage their diabetes,” the lawmakers wrote to VA Secretary Denis McDonough. “For these same reasons, we urge you to replicate [Medicare’s] coverage change for Veterans by eliminating requirements that Veterans ‘require an intensive insulin regimen (e.g. ≥3 injections/day, or insulin pump) to achieve desired glycemic control.’”

 Continuous Glucose Monitors are small devices, usually inserted under the skin of an individual with diabetes, that continuously monitor their blood glucose levels throughout the day and night. The devices provide alerts and real-time information regarding an individual’s blood glucose levels, often through an app that’s been downloaded on their smartphone.  By using the monitors, individuals living with diabetes can significantly reduce the need for fingerstick testing, and the real-time information that is provided to them by the device can help them make more informed decisions to better manage the disease.  More than one in ten Americans has already developed Type 2 diabetes. The rate among Veterans, however, is substantially higher with nearly 25% of America’s Veterans now affected by the disease.   Diabetes is the most common reason for a Veteran to be admitted to a VA hospital. It is also the leading cause of blindness and amputations for VA patients.  By ensuring America’s Veterans have access to the same continuous monitoring technology that’s helping other patients across the country better manage the disease, Bilirakis and DeGette are hoping to prevent these devastating outcomes for more Veterans while improving their overall quality of life.

 “Together we can help ensure that Veterans with diabetes have access to the full range of devices and technologies that they need to manage their conditions,” the lawmakers wrote. “This access will help improve their quality of life and even holds the potential to reduce health care costs.”

Original source can be found here.