ALR Technologies SG Ltd (ALRTF)

[RobertJames]

ALR Technologies (ALRT)Advocates For Sensible Medicare Reimbursement of Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) for Diabetes Patients

Internet Monitoring More Cost Effective Than Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) for Most Medicare Patients Says ALRT President Bill Smith


In a letter to Marilyn Tavenner, Administrator of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Bill Smith, President of ALR Technologies (OTCQB: ALRT) advocated for CMS reimbursement for continuous glucose monitoring systems (CGM) for Type 1 diabetes patients as well as higher-risk Type 2 patients. However, Smith argued that most Type 2 patients should first be encouraged to seek Internet-based remote chronic care management and then to step up to CGM if they don't achieve their health goals on the more cost-effective, Internet-based monitoring.

"There is no doubt that CGM should be made available to higher risk diabetes patients as this is a very valuable monitoring technology," said Smith. "However, for many other patients, I believe a sensible policy would be to reimburse first for Internet-based monitoring systems and then provide the CGM option for patients who fail on this less costly, Internet-based technology."

The complete text of the letter can be found here http://www.alrt.com/Media/Default/Page/CMSLetter.pdf

ALR Technologies has sponsored a clinical trial comparing Internet-based monitoring systems (IBGMS) with CGM in Type 2 diabetes patients. The results of that trial can be found here: http://alrt.com/hec/clinical-support

On November 1, CMS is expected to announce new rules for physician reimbursement in a broad range of treatments including management of chronic diseases such as diabetes. Among the proposed rules is a new payment schedule for remote chronic care management similar to the service that ALRT's Health-e-Connect system delivers.