CGM Cost Without Insurance: What One Sensor Costs, and When a Pack Saves Money
Without insurance, a continuous glucose monitor through ACT 2 Health costs $149 for one sensor. Packs of 3, 6 and 12 sensors are available, and the 12-pack brings the price down to about $137 per sensor. A monthly option is $249 a month. The eligibility review is free, and a clinician reads your data. If you meet Medicare's or your insurer's criteria for a CGM, though, paying through that coverage will probably cost you less. This page explains both routes.
Every ACT 2 price is on the pricing page. Whether a CGM will tell you anything useful is a separate question, covered on the CGM page. It is worth answering before you buy one.
What ACT 2 charges for a CGM
| Treatment | Option | Price | How it is billed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Continuous Glucose Monitor | 1 sensor | $149 | One-time |
| Monthly | $249 | Monthly | |
| 3 sensors | $449 | One-time | |
| 6 sensors | $849 | One-time | |
| 12 sensors | $1,649 | One-time |
The sensor packs are one-time charges. The monthly option is a recurring charge. Every option comes with the same clinical side:
- An eligibility screen before you wear one. Clinicians say no when a sensor is unlikely to change anything. They also do not prescribe one to anyone with a history of disordered eating.
- A clinician reading your trace alongside your labs, medications and history.
- A written interpretation at the end, with a decision attached.
The screen is free. If the answer is no, you pay nothing. Lab work is priced separately. The new-patient welcome offer does not apply to CGM. Shipping and taxes, where they apply, are shown before you pay.
Cost per sensor: which option is actually cheaper
The number that matters is the price per sensor, not the pack price. Here is each option divided by the number of sensors it contains:
- 1 sensor: $149 per sensor.
- 3 sensors: $449, which is $150 per sensor.
- 6 sensors: $849, which is $142 per sensor.
- 12 sensors: $1,649, which is $137 per sensor.
Three things follow from these figures.
The 3-pack does not save money. Per sensor it costs no less than buying singles. So if you think you need three, buying them one at a time costs no more and lets you stop whenever you like.
The savings only start at 6 sensors. The 6-pack and 12-pack bring the per-sensor price down. Buying one only makes sense if your clinician expects repeat wears over the coming months, for example on a GLP-1 program or while tracking a change in treatment.
The monthly option is a different product. At $249 a month, a year comes to $2,988, assuming twelve monthly charges. The 12-pack is $1,649. The catalog does not say how many sensors the monthly option supplies, so compare it only after your eligibility review confirms what it includes. If one sensor a month or fewer is enough for you, the packs cost less.
How long each sensor lasts depends on the device and its manufacturer's instructions, so this page keeps the arithmetic per sensor, not per week.
What a first wear, and a year, can cost
Most people do not need a CGM all year round. A realistic first purchase is a single wear read against a blood panel:
- One sensor plus a comprehensive panel: $348. This assumes one sensor and one comprehensive panel at $199.
- A repeat-wear year: $1,247. This assumes one 6-pack spread across the year and two comprehensive panels.
Lab testing is not currently available in New York, New Jersey or Rhode Island. What each panel costs is on the lab testing cost page.
Does Medicare cover a CGM?
Medicare covers a CGM for some people with diabetes, and for them it is often the cheaper route. It pays through Part B as durable medical equipment. According to Medicare.gov and the CMS coverage policy for glucose monitors, you must meet all of these conditions:
- You have diabetes.
- You take insulin, or you have a documented history of problematic low blood sugar. CMS defines that as recurrent significant lows that persist despite changes to treatment, or at least one severe low that needed someone else's help.
- A practitioner prescribes the CGM in line with its FDA indications and judges that you (or your caregiver) have enough training to use it.
- You had an in-person or Medicare-approved telehealth visit about your diabetes control within the six months before the order. Follow-up visits then continue every six months to keep coverage.
If you qualify, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible, provided the supplier accepts assignment. That will usually be less than self-pay.
Medicare does not cover a CGM for someone without diabetes who wants to see their glucose patterns. That is the group ACT 2's service is mostly built for. Commercial plans set their own criteria. NIDDK advises checking with your plan or Medicare before buying, and that is the right first step. ACT 2 does not bill insurance, Medicare or Medicare Advantage. HSA and FSA questions belong on the pricing and insurance FAQ and the FSA and HSA year-end page.
Over-the-counter CGMs change the comparison
In March 2024 the FDA cleared the first over-the-counter CGM, for adults who do not use insulin and do not have problematic low blood sugar. For some people, buying one directly is a reasonable, lower-cost choice. ACT 2's own CGM page says so.
This page does not repeat the device-by-device comparison. The OTC vs prescription page covers it. The cost question comes down to one thing: ACT 2's price pays for the screen, the clinician's reading and the written interpretation as well as the sensor. If you only want to see the numbers, you do not need to pay for the interpretation.
Frequently asked questions
A CGM through ACT 2 Health costs $149 for a single sensor without insurance. Packs of 3, 6 and 12 cost $449, $849 and $1,649. A monthly option is $249 a month. Every option includes a clinician reading the trace alongside your labs and a written interpretation. The eligibility screen is free, and the welcome offer does not apply to CGM.
The CGM monthly option at ACT 2 Health is $249 a month, a recurring charge. Over twelve months that comes to $2,988. For comparison, a 12-sensor pack is $1,649 as a one-time charge, about $137 per sensor. Confirm what the monthly option supplies at your eligibility review before choosing it over a pack.
The 12-sensor pack has the lowest price per sensor at ACT 2, about $137, followed by the 6-pack at about $142. The 3-pack costs about the same per sensor as a single at $149. Most people without diabetes need only one or two wears, so a single sensor is usually the sensible start.
Medicare Part B covers a CGM for people with diabetes who take insulin or have a documented history of problematic low blood sugar. The CGM must be prescribed in line with its FDA indications after a qualifying visit within the previous six months. Covered patients pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount after the Part B deductible. Medicare does not cover a CGM for people without diabetes. ACT 2 does not bill Medicare.
A prescription CGM is often cheaper through insurance if you meet your plan's coverage criteria. Medicare's, for example, require diabetes plus insulin use or a history of problematic low blood sugar. If you qualify, paying self-pay prices at ACT 2 would likely cost you more, so check your plan's criteria first. ACT 2's CGM, at $149 a sensor, is mainly for people whom insurance would not cover.
Yes. Since March 2024 the FDA has cleared CGMs for over-the-counter sale to adults who do not use insulin and do not have problematic low blood sugar. For someone who only wants to see their numbers, buying one directly is a reasonable choice. ACT 2's price also covers an eligibility screen, a clinician's reading and a written interpretation.
Where this fits in your plan
The first question is whether a CGM will change a decision for you. The CGM page answers that, and the CGM vs A1c and fasting glucose page explains what a sensor can and cannot tell you. If you are on a weight program, using a CGM on a GLP-1 is the most common reason for repeat wears, and the only one likely to justify a 6- or 12-pack.
We measure first. Then we act.
References
- Medicare.gov. Continuous glucose monitors: coverage, eligibility and costs. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/therapeutic-continuous-glucose-monitors
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Local Coverage Determination L33822: Glucose Monitors (CGM coverage criteria). Medicare Coverage Database. https://www.cms.gov/medicare-coverage-database/view/lcd.aspx?lcdid=33822
- Medicare.gov. Durable medical equipment (DME) coverage: Part B deductible and coinsurance. https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/durable-medical-equipment-dme-coverage
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. FDA Clears First Over-the-Counter Continuous Glucose Monitor. Press announcement, March 5, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-clears-first-over-counter-continuous-glucose-monitor
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Continuous Glucose Monitoring. National Institutes of Health. https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/managing-diabetes/continuous-glucose-monitoring
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Blood Glucose Monitoring Devices. https://www.fda.gov/medical-devices/in-vitro-diagnostics/blood-glucose-monitoring-devices
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How we write and review our content
ACT 2 Health provides clinician-led care. Treatments are available only to eligible patients following clinical evaluation and within applicable regulations. This content is educational and is not medical advice. Individual results vary.
Diagnostic testing does not diagnose or rule out disease on its own and is interpreted by a licensed provider alongside your history and examination.
All medical decisions are made solely by licensed healthcare professionals. Medications are prescribed only when medically necessary. GLP-1 medications are not suitable for everyone. Results may vary.
Care is delivered via telemedicine by healthcare professionals licensed in the state where the patient is located. Services are available only in states where our providers are licensed.
Prices shown are current catalog prices and are confirmed at your eligibility review; Medicare criteria are summarized from CMS and Medicare.gov and your own coverage is decided by your plan.