Refer to the chart below for Dexcom CGM system CPT codes and frequently asked questions about continuous glucose monitor billing guidelines for Medicare and private insurance patients with diabetes mellitus.
Dexcom CPT Codes and CPT Code Description | Medicare physician office fee schedule1 | Medicare outpatient diabetes center2 | Private payer | Relative value unit (RVU) non-facility1 |
CGM Services | ||||
CPT 95249 Personal CGM - Startup/Training Ambulatory continuous glucose monitoring of interstitial tissue fluid via a subcutaneous sensor for a minimum of 72 hours; patient-provided equipment, sensor placement, hook-up, calibration of monitor, patient training, and printout of recording. Bill only once during the time period that the patient owns the device.* | $65.24 |
| $130 | 1.96 |
CPT 95250 Professional CGM Ambulatory continuous glucose monitoring of interstitial tissue fluid via a subcutaneous sensor for a minimum of 72 hours; physician or other qualified health care professional (office) provided equipment, sensor placement, hook-up, calibration of monitor, patient training, removal of sensor, and printout of recording. Do not bill more than 1x/month.* | $147.46 |
| $319 | 4.43 |
CPT 95251 CGM Interpretation Ambulatory continuous glucose monitoring of interstitial tissue fluid via a subcutaneous sensor for a minimum of 72 hours; analysis, interpretation and report. Do not bill more than 1x/month.* | $34.29 | Paid under physician fee schedule | $98 | 1.03 |
CGM CPT Codes and CPT Code Description | Medicare physician office fee schedule1 | Medicare outpatient diabetes center2 | Private payer | Relative value unit (RVU) non-facility1 |
Evaluation and Management (E/M) | ||||
99212-99215 For an established patient in Appropriate code to be determined by the office. | $56.59-$180.42 | — | $103-$335 | 1.70-5.42 |
Keep in mind that Medicare adjusts payment to physicians based on where the service is performed. There are 89 different fee schedule localities in the country and payments vary significantly. You can obtain the geographically adjusted payment rate for any code paid under the physician fee schedule through Medicare’s Physician Fee Schedule Lookup Tool.
*Frequency may vary by individual payor. Check with individual payor for specifics.
CPT Coding FOR DEXCOM CGM FAQs
Claim denials can occur for a wide variety of reasons. It is important to understand why the claim was denied and as appropriate, know what options are available to resubmit or appeal the claim. Confirm that the ICD-10 diagnosis code(s) are specific and valid for services provided and that the specific codes and services of CPT codes 95249, 95250 and 95251 are covered services within each health plan.
Ensure that frequency of submissions is within the specific insurance policy limits. Modifier -25 should be added to Evaluation and Management code (E/M) if billed on the same day as CPT codes 95249, 95250 and 95251. Modifier -25 verifies that the E/M service was separate and identifiable from the CGM service. For insurance plans requiring prior authorization, ensure that the authorization has been obtained prior to the service being performed.
The Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has a website where you can find state and local fee schedules for all CPT codes: https://www.cms.gov/apps/physician-fee-schedule/overview.aspx
Medicare physician payments are fee schedules based on relative value units (RVUs). Hospital outpatient services are paid under the outpatient prospective payment system (OPPS).
The majority of commercial insurance plans have written positive coverage decisions for both personal and professional use of CGM. National payers such as Cigna, Humana, Aetna, United Healthcare and Anthem WellPoint are currently covering these CPT codes, although the coverage criteria may differ between personal and professional use of CGM. Coverage decisions may vary and limit coverage to specific patients (i.e. type 1) or may limit number of times per year CPT codes 95249, 95250 and 95251 may be covered. Work with your health plans to get copies of the most recent published CGM coverage decisions. As always, verify coding and payment with your local payers.
It is highly unlikely any commercial payers would cover training costs for devices that are not reimbursed. (Medicare does not currently reimburse for a CGM system if a smart device is solely used to display glucose data. The patient must have a receiver to use in conjunction with the smart device.) However, providers should check with individual payers for specifics on billing when a patient switches to using a smart device for glucose data display.
Yes, the code can be billed again for commercially-insured and Medicare patients if the patient is using a different manufacturer’s CGM system or a different model of a data receiver from the manufacturer’s CGM system they are currently using.
Yes, all of the services associated with CPT codes 95249 and 95250 must be provided face-to-face in order to bill for them. Services associated with CPT code 95251, however, may be a non-face-to-face service.1
1 CPT 2019 Professional Edition. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association. All rights reserved. CPT is a registered trademark of the American Medical Association.
CPT codes 95249 and 95250 do not have any physician work RVUs (Relative Value Units); therefore, the associated services can be performed by a trained RN, PharmD/RPh, RD, CDE or MA (if within their scope of practice) and billed by the supervising physician advanced practitioner or hospital outpatient department. However, only providers such as Physician (MD), Nurse Practitioner (NP), Physician Assistant (PA) or Clinical Nurse Specialist (CNS) can perform and bill for services associated with CPT code 95251.
This code can be billed only once during the time the patient owns the manufacturer-provided display device. This code may not be reported for subsequent episodes of data collection, unless the patient begins using a new generation of the manufacturer’s (or different manufacturer’s) CGM system or display device. Additionally, this code may not be billed unless at least 72 hours of CGM data is printed from the display device the patient was trained on.
If providers are performing remote monitoring beyond CGM, CPT codes 99091 or 99457 may be appropriate based on services provided. Providers should understand specific coverage criteria for billing remote monitoring (i.e. time required/frequency of billing/ patient consent).
CPT Coding Reference Sheet
CGM has truly been a reimbursement success story. There are established CPT codes for providers to get paid and broad coverage within the payer community. Download the 2024 CGM Reimbursement reference sheet.
The reimbursement information provided is intended to assist you with billing for your services related to continuous glucose monitoring (CGM). It is intended for informational purposes only and is not a guarantee of coverage and payment. Providers are encouraged to contact their local payers with questions related to coverage, coding and payment. Rates provided under the Medicare PFS and OPPS are rounded to the nearest hundredth.
*Frequency may vary by individual payor. Check with individual payor for specifics.
†For a list of compatible smart devices, please visit dexcom.com/compatibility. 1 CMS-1784-F Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Final Rule 2024 and the “Physician Fee Schedule Look-Up Tool,” available at: https://www.cms.gov/medicare/physician-fee-schedule/search/overview. 2 CMS-1786-FC; Medicare Outpatient Prospective Payment System Final Rule 2024. Fee schedules are national averages and are not geographically adjusted. 3 PMIC Medical Fees Directory: UCR & Medicare Fees with RVUs for Over 9,000 CPT Codes. Numbers provided are the 50th percentile of the Usual and Customary (UCR) charges. Note that these are charges and not actual reimbursed amounts. 4 CPT 2021 Professional Edition. Chicago, IL: American Medical Association.