New Arkansas Act Protects Patient Access to CGM

LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas—Arkansas’s Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders has signed into law Act 857, which amends the coverage of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) in the Arkansas Medicaid program. This industry legislation protects CGM access by:

• Requiring Medicaid coverage as a DME benefit, without requiring an NDC as part of claim submission
• Mandating that reimbursement should be no less than Medicare under applicable HCPCS
• Ensuring consistent approval requirements whether through pharmacy or durable medical equipment (DME)

The American Association for Homecare (AAHomecare) said its Diabetes Council members and Arkansas Medical Equipment Providers (AMEP), which was initially formed to address this issue, were instrumental in passing the legislation.

“AMEP is incredibly grateful for the work of our sponsors to ensure that DME and their patients were taken care of this legislative session,” remarked Caitlyn Hiland, AMEP executive director. “We are excited to continue this momentum into the summer to carefully craft the rules with the intention of keeping patients our first priority. This is a huge win for our current members and we hope it inspires other DMEs operating in Arkansas to reach out to us with the intention of helping their business and patient base.”

Find the full legislative text here. AAHomecare’s David Chandler worked closely with AMEP leaders to build support and advance the bill through the legislature.