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Committee backs bill to expand Medicaid access to continuous glucose monitors
Summary
Senate Bill 521 (as amended) would expand Medicaid coverage for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) for patients with insulin‑treated diabetes and certain rare glycogen storage disease cases; clinicians testified CGMs improve outcomes and reduce hospitalization; sponsor estimated a potential cost of about $15 million if fully utilized.
Senate Bill 521, as amended, would require Medicaid to cover continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) for beneficiaries with insulin‑treated diabetes who meet frequency or hypoglycemia criteria and for individuals with certain glycogen storage diseases. Sponsor Senator Davis and clinician witnesses said the change aligns Arkansas with most other states and would improve care while reducing long‑term costs.
Dr. Joseph Henske (UAMS diabetes program director) said CGMs are “the most significant development in management of diabetes since the discovery of insulin” and explained clinical benefits including real‑time glucose trends, remote monitoring for parents of children with diabetes, and improved telemedicine. Dr. Amir Tas (pediatric endocrinologist at Arkansas Children’s Hospital) explained CGMs reduce severe hypoglycemia and hospitalizations among children. Morgan Butler, an RN and person with type 1 diabetes, described a recent episode in which her CGM alerts prevented a severe outcome and urged passage.
Senator Davis said Arkansas currently incurs roughly $300 million in diabetes claims annually and estimated (based on testimony) that if every eligible patient received a CGM the state cost might be about $15 million; she characterized the potential as a net savings in long‑term care costs. The committee heard no registered opposition and passed the bill by voice vote; the bill now moves to the next legislative stage for floor consideration.
