Medicare covers Medtronic MiniMed 780G automated insulin pump

Oct 09, 2023

July 6, 2023 By Sean Whooley

Coverage for the recently FDA-approved automated insulin delivery system extends to all eligible Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. Medtronic intends to begin processing orders immediately. The company plans to start shipments to eligible recipients with type 1 diabetes over the next few weeks.

MiniMed 780G features SmartGuard technology to eliminate the need for fingersticks. Its Meal Detection Technology provides automatic adjustments and corrections to sugar levels every five minutes. This occurs for both basal (background) and bolus (mealtime) insulin needs. Que Dallara, Medtronic Diabetes EVP and president, told Drug Delivery Business News that this feature is “a big deal.”

Medtronic also presented strong data supporting Meal Time Technology at the American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions last month.

“Coming off the heels of a very exciting 83rd American Diabetes Association Scientific Sessions where we shared the latest real-world data on our MiniMed™ 780G system, we couldn’t be more thrilled to expand access to our Meal Detection technology that’s helping many individuals around the world achieve an average Time in Range exceeding 80 percent1 when using recommended settings,” Dallara said in a news release. “We see people of all ages and from different therapies benefitting significantly from improved outcomes with the MiniMed 780G system. We attribute this to the easy-to-use design coupled with a powerful algorithm that provides coverage when life gets in the way — one that’s designed for real life.”

MiniMed780G features glucose target settings as low as 100 mg/dL — the lowest in any automated insulin pump on the market. It closely mirrors the average glucose of someone not living with diabetes, according to the company

This setting enables the pump to “treat to target.” It automatically delivers basal insulin adjustments and autocorrections to a set target. Medtronic said it’s the only pump with an infusion set capable of a wear time of up to seven days. The company launched this infusion set — which doubles the previous wear time — in November 2022. The set also features advanced materials to help reduce insulin preservation loss and maintain insulin flow and stability. This results in a reduced risk of infusion set occlusion.

Combined with Guardian 4, MiniMed 780G offers a user-friendly design. The company says 94% of users report satisfaction with the impact the system has on their quality of life. Users also reported remaining in SmartGuard technology mode 95% of the time.

“What’s particularly compelling about the MiniMed 780G system is that it broadens eligibility to many more individuals interested in automated insulin delivery to help them achieve their diabetes management goals,” said Dr. Robert Vigersky, chief medical officer, Medtronic Diabetes. “Historically, there’s been a stepwise approach towards prescribing pump therapy when certain criteria were met including the ability to carb count and use advanced technology. This approach is no longer relevant given the system’s ability to overcome these challenges. We are very pleased that we’re able to make this technology available to Medicare beneficiaries.”

Filed Under: Business/Financial News, Diabetes, Drug-Device Combinations, Featured, Patient Monitoring, Regulatory/Compliance, Technology Tagged With: Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Medtronic