Dexcom G6

Happy Birthday Dexcom & Updates to the Dexcom G6 iOS App

This year, Dexcom (founded in 1999) celebrates its 20th birthday! Over 20 years, Dexcom has brought us groundbreaking technology, and there are many changes, including growth and expansion, on the horizon. Read more at the Diabetes Mine blog "Dexcom Hits 20-Year Birthday with Exciting New Tech, Corporate Restructuring." According to the Diabetes Mine article, these are the...

Six New Changes to the Dexcom G6 App for Apple

  1. Siri Assist – You can now ask Siri to read Dexcom G6 glucose readings aloud and display graphs directly on the lock screen.

  2. More Followers – With an expanded Dexcom SHARE function, you can now share glucose readings with up to 10 people (in the past the max was five).

  3. 24-hour Sensor Expiration Reminder – The app now offers an automatic 24-hour reminder before it’s time to replace a sensor, in addition to the existing 2-hour and 6-hour reminders.

  4. CLARITY App at Your Fingertips – You can now launch the Dexcom CLARITY app directly from the Dexcom G6 app for more retrospective glucose reports, rather than having to exit the G6 app and go into the separate CLARITY app.

  5. Extra Integration – They've also added a feature allowing Google Fit to display Dexcom G6 data on a three-hour delay (this lag is a regulatory hurdle being discussed with FDA).

  6. Apple Watch Feature – Users can also add an icon to check their glucose level when customizing the face of their Apple Watch Series 4. Unfortunately, Dexcom doesn't yet allow for direct-to-watch functionality; you still need the smartphone as the middleman between the CGM and Apple Watch.

Learn more about Dexcom CGM here.

Eliminating Painful Fingerpricks

In November, Dexcom set up a "coffee and bagels" food truck in L.A. and Seattle but asked for a painful payment - a fingerprick. The video documenting this experiment, embedded on nomorefingerpricks.com, is a great resource for people thinking about CGM (continuous glucose monitoring)...and for anyone trying to wrap their head around the fact that countless people with diabetes prick their finger 3,000 times each year. (Try to imagine!)

Many people with Type 1 aren’t even aware that CGM is an option. The stats from a Dexcom and Beyond Type 1 nationwide survey show:

  • 34% of people with T1D know nothing or little about CGM

  • 80% of people with T1D still prick their fingers more than 3 times a day

  • 96% of CGM users would recommend CGM

Some of the most appealing benefits of CGM include:

  • Alerts and alarms to proactively warn of dangerous highs and lows

  • Continuous glucose readings sent automatically

  • No fingerpricks for calibration or treatment decisions*
    *From Dexcom - If your glucose alerts and readings from the G6 do not match symptoms or expectations, use a blood glucose meter to make diabetes treatment decisions.

We have also learned from our customer community and partners that many people no longer perform fingersticks at all due to the accuracy of the Dexcom G6 system. Most commercial insurances and Medicare cover CGM. Ask Healthy Living to help you get started!

Dexcom G6 CGM Receives CMS Approval & Will Be Available to Medicare Beneficiaries in Early 2019

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More great news has been announced about CGM! The Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitor (CGM) will be covered for Medicare beneficiaries, starting in early 2019. CGMs are DME items that provide critical information on blood glucose levels to help patients with diabetes better manage their disease. Coverage for therapeutic CGM includes certain beneficiaries who have either Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes and intensively manage their insulin.

The Dexcom G6 CGM shines because of the following advantages:

  1. Zero fingersticks

  2. Acetaminophen blocking to maintain accuracy while taking Tylenol

  3. Smartphone app that allows data to be shared with family members, providers, and other members of a patient's care team

  4. Super easy application device

  5. Very small and discreet sensor

  6. Integration with the tSlim:X2 insulin pump from Tandem Diabetes, which is also covered by Medicare

Healthy Living will be able to provide the G6 to Medicare members – stay tuned for updates on this exciting news! Read the press release directly from Dexcom.

Tandem’s Basal-IQ Predictive Low Glucose Suspend Now Available in t:slim X2 Insulin Pumps

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The Tandem Basal-IQ predictive low glucose suspend (PLGS) system has recently been approved by the FDA for pump users as young as six years old. It is a feature of the newest Tandem t:slim X2 insulin pumps (and available as a software update for older t:slim X2 pumps), working in collaboration with the Dexcom G6 continuous glucose monitoring system (CGM). The new PLGS algorithm stops basal insulin delivery when low blood sugar is predicted (30 minutes ahead of time), suspends, and then restarts insulin delivery once blood sugar levels begin to rise. The goal is to prevent or reduce hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) in users, without alarms.

The American Diabetes Association defines hypoglycemia: “Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) is when your blood glucose levels have fallen low enough that you need to take action to bring them back to your target range. This is usually when your blood glucose is less than 70 mg/dL.” Study results have shown that the Tandem Basal-IQ predictive low glucose suspend system reduced time in hypoglycemia by 31%, or about 19 minutes per day. The Basal-IQ system is also the first automated insulin delivery system compatible with a no-fingerstick calibration CGM (the Dexcom G6).

All of the Tandem t:slim X2 pumps shipping from Healthy Living Medical Supply now have the updated Basal-IQ PLGS algorithm. If you already have a Tandem t:slim X2 pump and it’s in warranty, you will be able to get a software update to obtain the new algorithm. The Basal-IQ Technology software update for the t:slim X2 Insulin Pump is now available – get started here. The collective capabilities of insulin pumps and CGM keep wowing us! To find out more about new ways like this to help manage diabetes, call our Insulin Pump & CGM Therapy team at 866.779.8512 (option 2). We are here to help!

Now Shipping: Dexcom G6 System

Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring System now shipping from Healthy Living Medical Supply

Dexcom G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring System now shipping from Healthy Living Medical Supply

Great news, the Dexcom G6 system is now shipping from Healthy Living Medical Supply! The new system features a longer wear time on the sensor (10 days), Acetaminophen blocking, finger stick free approval from the FDA (imagine avoiding over 1000 finger pokes per year!), smart phone integration, an improved applicator, and FDA indication for pediatric patients two years and older. 

Do you live in the State of Michigan and have a commercial insurance such as Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan or HAP? If you currently work direct with the manufacturer or another supplier for your CGM, call us now at 866-779-8512 to start the simple process of converting to to the only diabetes specialty DME (Durable Medical Equipment) company that is locally owned and operated in Michigan. 

FDA Approves Dexcom G6 CGM

Dexcom's new G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring System

Dexcom's new G6 Continuous Glucose Monitoring System

Yet another great piece of news in the area of Continous Glucose Monitoring technology advancement: Dexcom received FDA approval for their next generation, G6 CGM product.

For a more detailed analysis of the Dexcom G6 CGM, visit the recent blog posts from Diatribe, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and Beyond Type 1

The G6 solution is an exciting development for the diabetes community as it promises a ten day wear on the sensor, acetaminophen blocking, no finger stick calibrations,  potential integrations with the Tandem insulin pump, OminPod's tubeless pump and more.

A launch date has yet to be determined but Healthy Living Medical Supply will be ready to provide this new platform to our patients once it does become available.

Interested in learning more about CGM and the possible therapeutic benefits? Read this article from the Healthy Living blog on the benefits of CGM. 

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Exciting Diabetes Technology Is Emerging for 2018

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We are hearing really great news about new diabetes technology becoming available in 2018. This September, Dexcom submitted its G6 continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensor for approval with the FDA, and a U.S. launch is expected sometime in 2018. This sensor will most likely allow for longer wear and will require only one fingerstick calibration per day. It also features a thinner transmitter and a redesigned one-button inserter. Dexcom is also suggesting that a no-calibration-needed version of the G6 could be available by the end of 2018. Learn more about the updated sensor at both of these links:

We’re excited about this and other near-future technological advancements in diabetes tech – including the flash glucose monitoring system from Abbot, the possible launch of a Medtronic standalone CGM, and much more. More options give providers and patients more choices for managing diabetes – and that is something we’re all excited about!

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