Medicare diabetes patients file class action lawsuit against HHS Secretary Alex Azar
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar is the subject of a new class action lawsuit filed by two plaintiffs, Douglas B. Sargent and Carol A. Lewis. They allege that Medicare’s repeated refusal to cover continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) results in serious negative health outcomes to patients. CGMs have largely replaced the “finger prick” method of testing blood glucose levels that was common before they were developed in the early 2000s.
CGMs are effective because they continuously monitor a patient’s blood glucose level and easily send the data to patients and caregivers alike. This makes it easier to catch any potential issues before they become serious. Denying diabetes patients access to them, then, might put their health in jeopardy.
The plaintiffs are hoping to receive retroactive payments for patients who have shouldered this cost alone.
