Not only has Health Canada approved the Dexcom G5 today, but they have approved it for “non-adjunctive” use, meaning as a fingerstick replacement.
Link
I wonder if this will improve our ability to get CGM costs covered under insurance plans?
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Hooray!!! 
Yay for Jen and all of you Canucks with D! 
I’m happy for all the people w/D in Canada. Since the US FDA expert panel approved the Dexcom CGM for insulin dosing, I’m hoping the larger FDA will approve it soon. This should pave the way for Medicare CGM coverage. Congrats to Health Canada for making a good decision!
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Does that mean insurance companies could stop covering test strips?
I don’t think so but I understand your thinking. Dexcom in Europe was approved for making treatment decisions but there are still some needed fingersticks. The Dex must be calibrated 2x/day and Dexcom instructs patients in Europe to confirm with a fingerstick if their symptoms are at odds with the CGM number.
Your fear is well-founded and we as a community must keep a close watch on this. I use a CGM and still fingesrtick several times every day. The CGM accuracy and precision is not perfect.
Keep in mind that this only means the G5 is available, it doesn’t mean that government or private insurance will cover it. Since test strips are still much cheaper, I doubt the government will be covering CGMs anytime soon (though this varies by province, and I can only speak for BC). My insurance is currently “evaluating” whether to cover CGMs, so I have my fingers crossed. But since 99% of Canadians who use CGMs pay for the cost themselves, and since the G5 is inherently more expensive than the G4, I don’t think many will be upgrading (I won’t be unless insurance covers it). I’m hopeful that the ability to dose will help with coverage, but I think that insurance companies and especially the government go off of what studies show, so it may not change anything. (In BC insulin analogues aren’t 100% covered because studies have shown they have no advantage over older insulins, and test strip coverage for people who don’t use insulin has been capped at 200/year because studies show no benefits to more testing for people not using insulin…)
HOORAY! With the G5 bluetooth transmitter now available I don’t have to carry around my xDrip Bridge anymore to view my BG on an android phone!
I have been using a DEXCOM G4 (no share) for about 2 months now. I am feeling ok about not waiting for the Health Canada decision about the G5, because the last two months with the G4 have been awesome from a diabetes perspective.
Like Jen I live in BC and there is no coverage through the provincial drug plan, but I am “lucky” enough my private insurance plan that my employer offers covers all the CGM costs (transmitters and sensors). Hopefully I can just start using the G5 transmitters when my current G4 transmitter battery dies.
In related news - I got my cheap and cheerful Pebble watch last week (yes it is awesome)… Too bad Dexcom doesn’t have all the features in xDrip+ oh well maybe one day…
Hooray for Canada. Maybe we will wise up in the states someday.