The Oregon Legislature has an opportunity this session to expand coverage of continuous glucose monitoring - an essential tool in managing diabetes. Many members of the kidney community have arrived at a chronic kidney disease diagnosis after battling diabetes, which is why it is essential to provide more options to increase their ability to monitor and manage this condition.
Read our testimony to the House Committee on Behavioral Health and Health Care below. Thank you to our partners at the American Diabetes Association for leading the charge on this effort.
Chair Nosse, members of the committee,
The Northwest Kidney Council is grateful for the opportunity to support HB 3380, which would ensure access to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) products for Oregonians of all ages who manage diabetes with insulin, who are enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan.
The Northwest Kidney Council partners with patient advocates, health care professionals, care providers and researchers to advance kidney care in both Washington and Oregon. Together we are committed to ensuring that all patients with kidney disease receive high quality care and that treatment is accessible to all.
Diabetes is the leading cause of kidney disease throughout the country. Nearly a third of Americans have prediabetes and most people with prediabetes don’t know they have it. Of the more than 8,400 Oregonians living with End Stage Renal Disease, diabetes is a major contributor to the decline in their kidney health.
Chronic kidney disease is called a “silent disease” because most people don’t know they have it. But if it is caught early, there are treatment options that can greatly slow the progression of the disease and prevent the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant.
That is why it is imperative that we provide all Oregonians with the tools they need to manage their diabetes diagnosis. HB 3380 directs the Oregon Health Authority to cover CGM products for anyone who use insulin in the Oregon Health Plan. Oregon should not continue to be one of only a handful of states that limit CGM coverage for Oregonians who use insulin. Importantly, this legislation also allows patients to access CGM through their pharmacy, which expands the accessibility of this tool and thus improves patient outcomes.
Thank you for considering our perspective. We encourage the committee to support this commonsense approach to bridging an important gap in access to care.
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