Title: Dexcom G7 Cost Without Insurance, and Who Gets a CGM Free
Author: Artur Harmash
Published: 2026-10-17
Source: https://lymyvoyage.com/articles/dexcom-g7-libre-cost-coverage
Citations:
- https://www.freestyle.abbott/us-en/buying-guide.html
- https://www.singlecare.com/prescription/freestyle-libre-3-plus-sensor
- https://www.singlecare.com/blog/dexcom-g7-cost-per-month/
- https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/continuous-glucose-monitors
- https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs208/chapter/quality-statement-2-continuous-glucose-monitoring
- https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28/chapter/Blood-glucose-management
- https://www.dexcom.com/en-gb/dexcom-shop/dexcom-one-plus
- https://www.mypharmacy.co.uk/product/freestyle-libre-3-plus-sensor/
- https://www.g-ba.de/presse/pressemitteilungen-meldungen/623/
- https://www.dak.de/dak/leistungen/freestyle-libre-2075864.html
- https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/fileadmin/Dateien/3_Downloads/A/Arzneimittelversorgung/Zuzahlungsregelungen_GKV.pdf
- https://investors.dexcom.com/news/news-details/2025/Ontario-Expands-Access-to-Dexcom-G7-CGM-Under-the-Ontario-Drug-Benefit-ODB-Program/default.aspx
- https://lmc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/LMC-Continuous-Glucose-Monitor-Comparison-Chart-May-2025.pdf
- https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/exemption-certificates/medical-exemption-certificates

---

A continuous glucose monitor (CGM) is a small sensor worn on the arm or belly. It reads sugar levels under the skin every few minutes and sends them to a phone. The sensor has to be replaced every 10 to 15 days, so the cost is a monthly bill, not a one-off purchase.

That bill depends less on the device than on where you live. A month of Dexcom G7 sensors costs about $572 at a US pharmacy without insurance.[^3] In England, an adult with type 1 diabetes is offered a CGM on the NHS, and pays no prescription charge for it.[^5][^14] This article compares what a month of sensors costs, and who gets them free, in the US, the UK, Germany and Canada.

<Carousel>

A month of Dexcom G7 sensors costs about $572 at a US pharmacy without insurance. In England, adults with type 1 diabetes get a CGM on the NHS. What really sets the bill?

In the US, the cash price depends on the brand and the pharmacy. FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus averages about $253 for a month of sensors, against $572 for Dexcom G7.

Insurance changes the number more than the brand does. Medicare covers a CGM if you take insulin or have had problems with low blood sugar. You then pay 20% after the deductible.

England's NHS offers every adult with type 1 diabetes a choice of CGM. For type 2, it is mainly people on several insulin injections a day who have hypoglycaemia or other specific needs.

Germany's statutory insurers have paid for real-time CGM since 2016 for people on intensive insulin therapy. The copayment on supplies like sensors is capped at €10 a month.

The counterargument: free systems ration. If you have type 2 diabetes and do not take insulin, you will usually not qualify in England, Germany or under Medicare, and you pay the cash price like anyone else.

What the prices cannot show: a cash price is set by each pharmacy. One US price site found the same Libre pack at $196.50 in one chain and $506 in another.

So check your eligibility before you compare prices. If you qualify, the sensor may cost you little or nothing. If you do not, shop pharmacies and coupons. Save this.

</Carousel>

## Who pays for a CGM, country by country

| Country | Who usually qualifies for coverage | What a covered patient pays | Self-pay price, one month of sensors |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States, Medicare | People who take insulin, or have a history of low blood sugar | 20% of the approved amount, after the Part B deductible | Varies by brand and pharmacy: see the chart below |
| England, NHS | All adults with type 1; adults with type 2 on several daily insulin injections with specific needs | No prescription charge with a medical exemption | £79 (Dexcom ONE+ subscription, excluding VAT); about £162 for two Libre 3 Plus sensors at one online pharmacy |
| Germany, statutory insurance | People on intensive insulin therapy | 10% per pack, at most €10 a month | Not compared here |
| Canada, Ontario | People on insulin in the public drug plan: 65 and over, 24 and under without private insurance, and some others | Depends on the plan | C$87.50–99 a Dexcom G7 sensor, at one clinic network in May 2025 |

The self-pay prices are in different currencies and come from different sellers, so they are not converted. The sections below give the source for each.

## United States: the cash price, and what insurance does to it

Without insurance, the price depends on the brand and the pharmacy.

<Chart />

The price site SingleCare found an average of $253.45 for a box of two FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensors in October 2026.[^2] Each sensor lasts 15 days, so a box covers a month.[^8] With SingleCare's coupon, the price fell to $162.28.[^2]

Pharmacy prices for that box ranged widely. SingleCare listed $196.50 at Kroger and $506.00 at Albertsons before its coupon.[^2] The coupon narrowed the spread to between $165 and $193.[^2]

Dexcom G7 costs more. A Dexcom sensor lasts 10 days, so a month takes three. SingleCare put the average pharmacy price of that three-pack at about $572 in January 2026.[^3] Its coupon brought the price to about $321 at some pharmacies.[^3] The optional receiver cost another $431 without insurance, though most people use a phone instead.[^3]

Few insured patients pay those prices. Abbott, which makes the Libre, says "most covered patients pay $0–$20" for Libre sensors on private insurance.[^1] Dexcom says most covered patients pay $0 for the G7, according to SingleCare.[^3] Both are the makers' own claims.

Abbott also runs a copay card. It says patients who are commercially insured or uninsured and asked to pay more than $75 for two sensors should use it.[^1]

### Medicare

Medicare covers a CGM under Part B if you have diabetes and take insulin, or have a history of problems with low blood sugar.[^4] You, or a caregiver, must have been trained to use it, and a doctor must order it.[^4]

After you meet the Part B deductible, you pay 20% of the Medicare-approved amount.[^4] Abbott says most people on Medicare Advantage pay $0 for Libre.[^1]

The rule leaves out a large group. Someone with type 2 diabetes who does not take insulin, and has no history of low blood sugar, does not meet Medicare's conditions.[^4] They pay the cash price.

## England: free for those who qualify

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) sets the rules for NHS England. Its quality standard for type 1 diabetes says adults "are offered a choice of real-time or intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring".[^5] Real-time devices send readings on their own. Intermittently scanned ones, often called "flash", send them when the phone is held near the sensor.

The rules for type 2 diabetes are narrower. NICE's guideline says to offer a flash monitor to adults on multiple daily insulin injections if any of four conditions apply.[^6] They are:

- recurrent or severe low blood sugar
- not being able to sense when blood sugar is low
- a condition or disability that stops them pricking their finger, but not using a sensor
- a need to test at least eight times a day otherwise

NICE also says to offer one to adults on insulin who would otherwise need a care worker to check their blood sugar.[^6] A real-time device may be considered instead "if it is available for the same or lower cost".[^6]

Prescriptions are free for anyone in England with diabetes treated by more than diet alone. They need a medical exemption certificate from their doctor.[^14]

### Self-pay in the UK

People who do not qualify can buy sensors. Dexcom's UK shop lists the Dexcom ONE+ sensor at £35 each, excluding VAT.[^7] A monthly subscription costs £79, which Dexcom says saves £26 against single sensors.[^7] People with diabetes can claim relief from VAT.[^7]

Libre prices are less direct. Abbott's UK shop price was not one we could fetch. The online chemist MyPharmacy lists one FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensor at £80.99.[^8] At that price, a month of two sensors would cost about £162.

## Germany: insurer pays, patient's share capped

Germany's Federal Joint Committee, which decides what statutory insurance covers, added real-time CGM in June 2016.[^9] It covers people with diabetes on intensive insulin therapy who cannot reach their treatment goals with finger-prick tests alone.[^9] A specialist must start the treatment, and the patient must be trained.[^9]

Flash monitors such as the Libre are handled insurer by insurer. The insurer DAK, for example, pays for the Libre for people with insulin-dependent diabetes on intensive insulin therapy.[^10] A diabetes specialist must confirm the need first.[^10]

The patient pays a statutory copayment. For supplies used up, such as sensors, the Federal Ministry of Health sets it at 10% per pack, with a cap of €10 for a month's supply.[^11] Total copayments in a year are capped at 2% of household income, or 1% for the chronically ill.[^11]

## Canada: provinces and private plans

Canada has no single national rule. In Ontario, Dexcom G7 sensors were listed on the public drug plan from 31 July 2025, according to Dexcom.[^12] Coverage is for people on any type of insulin who belong to a plan group. These include people aged 65 and over and those aged 24 and under without private insurance.[^12] The listing allows 45 sensors a year.[^12]

Most working-age Canadians rely on employer plans. LMC, a Canadian diabetes clinic network, published cash prices in May 2025. It listed Dexcom G7 at C$87.50 to C$99 a sensor, or C$3,150 to C$3,564 a year.[^13] It listed FreeStyle Libre 2 sensors at C$89 to C$109 each, sold without a prescription.[^13]

## What the headline numbers leave out

**Cash prices are one site's survey.** The US figures come from SingleCare, which sells discount coupons.[^2][^3] They are averages across pharmacies, and the spread is wide.

**The makers' coverage claims are not audited.** Abbott and Dexcom both say most covered patients pay little or nothing.[^1][^3] Neither publishes the share of patients refused coverage.

**Eligibility, not price, sets most bills.** In England, Germany and under Medicare, the rules are tied to insulin use.[^4][^6][^10] A person with type 2 diabetes on tablets alone is outside all three in most cases.

**Sensors are not the only cost.** A Dexcom receiver is optional but costs $431 in the US without insurance.[^3] German patients pay copayments on other supplies too.[^11]

**Models differ by country.** Dexcom ONE+ is sold in the UK, and Dexcom G7 in the US and Canada.[^7][^3][^13] The Libre sold in Canada in LMC's chart was the Libre 2.[^13] Prices are not for identical products.

## How to use these numbers

First, check whether you qualify. In the US, ask your doctor whether you meet Medicare's or your insurer's conditions, and get the order in writing.[^4] In England, ask your diabetes team whether you meet NICE's criteria, and apply for a medical exemption certificate.[^6][^14] In Germany, ask your insurer for its conditions before the prescription.[^10]

If you do not qualify, compare a month of sensors, not a single sensor. A 10-day Dexcom and a 15-day Libre are not priced on the same basis. In the US, check the coupon price at several pharmacies, since the spread was more than $300 for the same box.[^2]

If you are moving abroad, find out how the local system covers sensors before you go. Our guide to [public healthcare for expats in Spain and Italy](/articles/public-healthcare-for-expats-spain-60-italy-2-000-a-year) sets out what newcomers pay to join. For the other big diabetes cost in the US, see our report on the [insulin price lawsuit in Florida](/articles/insulin-price-lawsuit-florida).

[^1]: https://www.freestyle.abbott/us-en/buying-guide.html — Abbott, "FreeStyle Libre buying guide". Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^2]: https://www.singlecare.com/prescription/freestyle-libre-3-plus-sensor — SingleCare, "FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus Sensor prices" (updated Oct 16, 2026). Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^3]: https://www.singlecare.com/blog/dexcom-g7-cost-per-month/ — SingleCare, Jennifer Larson, "Dexcom G7 cost per month" (published Jan 6, 2026). Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^4]: https://www.medicare.gov/coverage/continuous-glucose-monitors — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, Medicare.gov, "Continuous glucose monitors". Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^5]: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/qs208/chapter/quality-statement-2-continuous-glucose-monitoring — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, "Type 1 diabetes in adults", QS208, quality statement 2 (published Mar 2, 2023). Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^6]: https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng28/chapter/Blood-glucose-management — National Institute for Health and Care Excellence, "Type 2 diabetes in adults: management", NG28, section 1.7 (last updated Feb 18, 2026). Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^7]: https://www.dexcom.com/en-gb/dexcom-shop/dexcom-one-plus — Dexcom UK, "Shop Dexcom ONE+ products". Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^8]: https://www.mypharmacy.co.uk/product/freestyle-libre-3-plus-sensor/ — MyPharmacy (UK), "FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus Sensor". Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^9]: https://www.g-ba.de/presse/pressemitteilungen-meldungen/623/ — Gemeinsamer Bundesausschuss (Federal Joint Committee), press release on real-time continuous glucose monitoring as a statutory insurance benefit (published Jun 16, 2016). Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^10]: https://www.dak.de/dak/leistungen/freestyle-libre-2075864.html — DAK-Gesundheit, "FreeStyle Libre: Diabetessensor" (updated Oct 1, 2026). Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^11]: https://www.bundesgesundheitsministerium.de/fileadmin/Dateien/3_Downloads/A/Arzneimittelversorgung/Zuzahlungsregelungen_GKV.pdf — Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Federal Ministry of Health), "Zuzahlungsregelungen der gesetzlichen Krankenversicherung" (published Apr 30, 2025). Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^12]: https://investors.dexcom.com/news/news-details/2025/Ontario-Expands-Access-to-Dexcom-G7-CGM-Under-the-Ontario-Drug-Benefit-ODB-Program/default.aspx — Dexcom, Inc., "Ontario Expands Access to Dexcom G7 CGM Under the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Program" (published Jul 30, 2025). Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^13]: https://lmc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/LMC-Continuous-Glucose-Monitor-Comparison-Chart-May-2025.pdf — LMC Diabetes & Endocrinology, "Continuous Glucose Monitor Comparison Chart" (published May 2025). Accessed Oct 16, 2026.
[^14]: https://www.nhsbsa.nhs.uk/exemption-certificates/medical-exemption-certificates — NHS Business Services Authority, "Medical exemption certificates". Accessed Oct 16, 2026.