• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe

Drug Delivery Business

  • Clinical Trials
  • Research & Development
  • Drug-Device Combinations
  • FDA
  • Pharmaceuticals
  • Policy

Abbott FreeStyle Libre 3 reader is now available, covered by Medicare

August 1, 2023 By Sean Whooley

Abbott FreeStyle Libre 3 Reader with sensor and smartphone
The FreeStyle Libre 3 reader with the sensor and smartphone. [Image courtesy of Abbott]
Abbott (NYSE:ABT) has made its FreeStyle Libre 3 reader available in the U.S., enabling people on Medicare to access the system.

The FreeStyle Libre 3 reader pairs with the company’s latest continuous glucose monitor (CGM) sensor, cleared by the FDA last year. The addressable market for the sensor keeps growing, with massive coverage expansions all around the globe.

A Medicare coverage update kicked in this past spring, expanding access to the sensor. This modification includes people with diabetes who receive insulin treatment or have a history of problematic hypoglycemia.

According to Abbott, patients who may not have a compatible smartphone can use the reader. All other patients can continue to access glucose readings through the FreeStyle Libre 3 app. The sensor sends readings directly to the app on patients’ smartphones without requiring scans.

“FreeStyle Libre continuous glucose monitoring systems are prescribed by more doctors for their Medicare patients than any other system,” said Jared Watkin, SVP for Abbott’s diabetes care business. “With recent coverage expansion, there are another two million Medicare patients who manage their diabetes with insulin that are now eligible to use the FreeStyle Libre 3 system to track their glucose levels and have better health outcomes.”

A positive period for Abbott diabetes

The medtech giant’s diabetes business continues to drive growth and produce strong results. Reported as part of Abbott’s second-quarter earnings results, the unit brought in sales of $1.4 billion in the quarter. That was good for 19.4% growth year-over-year.

FreeStyle Libre continues to drive growth as CEO Robert Ford projected earlier this year. In addition to the U.S. Medicare expansion, last month, France authorized reimbursement to include all people who use basal insulin as part of their diabetes management.

Integration opportunities continue to arise for Libre, too. Ford expects the company to finalize Libre integration into Tandem Diabetes Care’s insulin pumps in the U.S. this year. The companies first struck a deal to combine technologies in 2020. Last month, Insulet announced progress in integrating FreeStyle Libre 2 into its Omnipod 5 insulin delivery system, too. Meanwhile, FreeStyle Libre 3 continuous glucose monitor (CGM) received U.K. authorization for use in automated insulin delivery this year.

The company also expects to begin a trial on a glucose-ketone dual-sensor trial in the fourth quarter. Abbott also plans to convert its FreeStyle Libre 2 users to streaming, switching from scans to real-time streaming through an app update. The first successful conversion to streaming recently took place in the U.K.

Ford says there’s “a lot of pipeline activity” slated for the second half of 2023.

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

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

  • Insulet hires new chief HR officer from J&J
  • Breakthrough T1D, Mattel debut Barbie doll with type 1 diabetes
  • Medtronic Diabetes names CFO with consumer experience ahead of separation
  • Diabeloop launches insulin delivery algorithm in Germany
  • GlucoModicum has positive data for needle-free CGM

About Sean Whooley

Sean Whooley is an associate editor who mainly produces work for MassDevice, Medical Design & Outsourcing and Drug Delivery Business News. He received a bachelor's degree in multiplatform journalism from the University of Maryland, College Park. You can connect with him on LinkedIn or email him at swhooley@wtwhmedia.com.

Primary Sidebar

“ddb
EXPAND YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND STAY CONNECTED
Get the latest news and trends happening now in drug delivery.

MEDTECH 100 INDEX

Medtech 100 logo
Market Summary > Current Price
The MedTech 100 is a financial index calculated using the BIG100 companies covered in Medical Design and Outsourcing.

Footer

Drug Delivery Business News Logo

MassDevice Medical NETWORK

MassDevice
DeviceTalks
Medical Tubing + Extrusion
Medical Design & Outsourcing
MedTech100 Index
Drug Discovery & Development
Pharmaceutical Processing World
Medical Design Sourcing
R&D World

DRUG DELIVERY BUSINESS NEWS

Subscribe to Drug Delivery’s E-Newsletter
Advertise with us
About
Contact us
Privacy
Listen to our Weekly Podcasts

Copyright © 2025 · WTWH Media LLC and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of WTWH Media.

Privacy Policy | RSS