Does Medicare Cover Glucose Monitors?

Part B, the part of Medicare that pays for doctor visits, covers a continuous glucose monitor if you meet its rules. A CGM is a small sensor you wear that checks your blood sugar day and night. If you're tired of finger sticks, or a bad low has scared you, it's worth asking about one. Your doctor decides if a CGM fits your care and sends the order. A pharmacy or supplier enrolled in Medicare fills it.

Medicare pays if

• You have diabetes, type 1 or type 2.
• You use insulin, or you have had serious low blood sugar.
• You saw your doctor in the last 6 months. Your doctor prescribes the CGM the way the Food and Drug Administration approved it.
• You or your caregiver know how to use it.

Not sure Medicare will pay? Ask anyway, because your doctor's office can check your chart against Medicare's rules. If you want a hand, a Pair Team advocate can help you sort it out.

What Part B pays for

For the rest of your diabetes supplies, like insulin and strips, see Medicare and diabetes supplies.

Do I have to use insulin to get a CGM?

No, you don't have to use insulin to get a CGM if you've had serious low blood sugar. By serious, Medicare means one of two things:

• More than one reading under 54 that kept happening after your doctor changed your medicine or plan more than once.
• One low that was so bad you needed someone else's help to treat it.

Your doctor has to write down these lows in your chart, so ask them if a CGM is right for you.

Can I use my phone instead of the reader?

You can use your phone part of the time, but Medicare pays for sensors only if you use the reader sometimes too. An insulin pump that shows your numbers also counts. You can check your phone on other days, and send your numbers to a family member's phone. But if you never use the reader or pump, Medicare will not pay for your sensors. A CGM that only works with a phone app is not covered at all, so ask about one with a reader.

Do I get a CGM from a pharmacy or a supplier?

You can get a CGM from either one, as long as it's enrolled in Medicare as a medical equipment supplier. Not every pharmacy is. Your doctor sends a written order to the pharmacy or supplier, and it must have the order before it bills Medicare. Before you fill it, ask two questions:

• "Are you enrolled in Medicare?"
• "Do you accept assignment?" That means they take Medicare's price as full payment, so you pay only your 20%.

A supplier that doesn't accept assignment can charge you more. To find a supplier near you, use medicare.gov/medical-equipment-suppliers or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). CGMs follow the same rules as other medical equipment Medicare pays for.

How to get a CGM

1. See your doctor in person or by video visit. Ask if a CGM fits your care and if you meet Medicare's rules.
2. Get the order sent to a pharmacy or supplier that's enrolled in Medicare and accepts assignment, so you aren't charged more.
3. Learn to use it, because your doctor's prescription shows Medicare that you or your caregiver are trained.
4. Get your sensors as a monthly supply, up to 90 days at a time, so you don't run out.
5. Go back every 6 months, because your doctor checks that you're using the CGM and following your diabetes plan. If you miss this visit, Medicare can stop paying.

If Medicare says no, ask the supplier why, because it may be a missing chart note. You can also appeal within 120 days of getting your Medicare Summary Notice. See how to appeal a Medicare denial.

What a Pair Team advocate does

When someone calls us about a CGM, there's usually more going on. Often it's the cost of insulin, or getting to the doctor every 6 months. This is what we do:

• Get the visit note and the order your supplier needs from your doctor's office.
• Find a pharmacy or supplier that accepts assignment, and follow up until your sensors come.
• Book your 6-month visits, by video if that's easier, and set up rides if not.
• Help with what usually comes with it: Extra Help for drug costs, food, utilities and housing.

An advocate is covered by Medicare if you qualify. It takes two minutes to find out.

Check if you qualify for a Pair Team advocate

Frequently asked questions

Does Medicare cover a CGM for type 2 diabetes?

Yes, Medicare covers a CGM whatever type of diabetes you have. What matters is whether you use insulin or have had serious low blood sugar.

Does Medigap pay my 20%?

Most Medigap plans pay all of it, and Plans K and L pay part. Qualified Medicare Beneficiary (QMB) is one of the Medicare Savings Programs. If you have it, the supplier can't bill you for the 20%.

Do I still need finger sticks?

Whether you still need finger sticks depends on your CGM. Some need a finger-stick check before you act on a number, so Medicare pays for strips on their own. Others don't, and the monthly supply already covers a meter if you need one. Ask your doctor which kind you have.

What if I have a Medicare Advantage plan?

A Medicare Advantage plan must cover a CGM too. It may want you to use certain suppliers or get its approval first. Call the plan before your doctor sends the order.

Can Medicare's ACCESS option give me a CGM?

Medicare's Advancing Chronic Care with Effective, Scalable Solutions (ACCESS) option works through approved groups. An approved ACCESS group may give or lend you a CGM at no cost, Medicare.gov says. ACCESS started July 5, 2026, for people with Original Medicare who have diabetes or some other long-term health problems. Most groups charge $0 to $7 a month. The list of groups is at Medicare.gov/ACCESS.

Sources

• Continuous glucose monitors, Medicare.gov
• Glucose Monitors (L33822), CMS Medicare Coverage Database
• Glucose Monitor Policy Article (A52464), CMS Medicare Coverage Database
• Medicare Coverage of Diabetes Supplies (MLN7674574, February 2026), CMS
• 2026 Medicare Parts A and B Premiums and Deductibles, CMS
• Find medical equipment and suppliers, Medicare.gov
• Support for chronic health conditions (ACCESS), Medicare.gov
• First level of appeal: redetermination, CMS