In The News
Lilly’s new Tempo personalized diabetes management platform features a reusable medical device that attaches to prefilled, disposable insulin pens and sends dose-related data to a compatible app. Patients attach the Tempo Smart Button to the Tempo Pen to send insulin-dose information to TempoSmart. Capturing the data facilitates medication reminders, personalized education resources, and feedback on blood glucose levels, realized through integration with compatible technologies, including real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) via the Dexcom G6. Labeled a “diabetes ecosystem” solution, the fully integrated combination of devices, drugs, and technology offers an opportunity to adapt to each patient’s unique needs in diabetes management while providing value to both physician and payer stakeholders at the same time.
Learn MoreAccording to the 2022 American Association of Clinical Endocrinology (AACE) Clinical Practice Guideline, CGM is recommended for all persons with T1D, regardless of insulin delivery system, to improve A1C levels and to reduce the risk for hypoglycemia and DKA. The updated guideline likewise recommends CGM for those with T2D who are treated with insulin therapy, or who have high risk for hypoglycemia and/or who have hypoglycemia unawareness. These recommendations are Grade A—indicating the highest strength made by the AACE—and are supported by the best evidence level available, based on data from randomized controlled trials. Managed care and payer professionals should take note of this latest guideline as part of the growing body of consensus recommendations supporting the coverage of CGM in a broader population of members with diabetes.
Blonde L, et al. American Association of Clinical Endocrinology Clinical Practice Guideline: Developing a Diabetes Mellitus Comprehensive Care Plan-2022 Update. Endocr Pract. 2022;28(10):923-1049.
The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the Omni Pod 5 tubeless insulin pump technology for individuals aged 2 years and older with type 1 diabetes (T1D). Omnipod 5 is the first tubeless, wearable automated insulin delivery (AID) system that integrates with the Dexcom G6 real-time continuous glucose monitoring (RT-CGM) system and a compatible smartphone to automatically adjust insulin and help protect against both hyper- and hypoglycemia.
Learn MoreThe National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) is revising its Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) standardized measures assessing plan performance for 2023. Notably, the 2023 dataset will include a new measure related to diabetes management: the risk-adjusted ratio of observed to expected emergency department visits for hypoglycemia among older adults (aged ≥67 years) with diabetes.
This measure reflects a key component of health plan quality pertaining to the management of diabetes, since older adults are more likely to experience severe hypoglycemia, potentially leading to several adverse outcomes: fall-related events and fractures, increased risk of cardiovascular events, and cognitive decline. Similarly, prevailing clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of older adults with diabetes emphasize the prevention of hypoglycemia as an important outcome. The new HEDIS measure provides an opportunity for health plans to identify older members with diabetes who are at highest risk of hypoglycemia and implement preventive interventions and more intensive management.
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