The government will consider a plan to allow health insurance coverage for continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) for people with gestational and type 2 diabetes.

Supporting health insurance for CGMs for gestational and adult diabetes was one of President Yoon Suk Yeol's election campaign pledges.

The National Health Insurance Service (NHIS) recently announced on its website that it would commission a study to review detailed standards for insurance benefits for diabetes management devices for gestational and type 2 diabetes. The study has been allocated a budget of 45 million won.

Through the study, the NHIS plans to set health insurance benefit standards for effective implementation of the policy of expanding benefits for diabetes management devices for pregnant women and type 2 diabetic patients and to prepare specific action plans to predict financial impacts.

The research team should review benefit priorities by analyzing the actual use of diabetes management devices to measure blood sugar in diabetic patients and evaluating the economic feasibility of expanding benefits for pregnant women and type 2 diabetics.

Currently, about 60 percent of type 1 diabetes patients are using only electrodes (sensors) for CGMs.

In addition, the research team should present the criteria for selecting people to receive benefits, including the appropriate threshold amount, the proportion of out-of-the-pocket cost, and prescribing specialists.

It should also analyze the size of the beneficiaries and the amount of financial resources required, and prepare a plan for the timing and gradual expansion of benefits.

"We are promoting the review of detailed standards for diabetes management device health insurance to improve the quality of home treatment and alleviate economic burdens through rational insurance support to delay the severity of diabetes patients and increase preventive effects," said the NHIS.