Getting a Dexcom G7 continuous glucose monitor starts with a prescription from your doctor, followed by figuring out whether your insurance covers it and where to pick it up. The process has a few moving parts, but most people with diabetes can get one within a couple of weeks once they know which path to follow.
Step 1: Get a Prescription
The Dexcom G7 requires a prescription, so your first step is talking to your doctor, endocrinologist, or diabetes care provider. If you’re already managing diabetes with insulin, this conversation is usually straightforward. Your provider will write a prescription specifying the G7 system, which includes sensors (replaced every 10 days) and access to the smartphone app or an optional receiver.
If you have type 2 diabetes and don’t use insulin, getting a prescription is still possible but may take more discussion. Coverage for non-insulin users has been expanding, though it’s not universal. About 50% of people not using insulin currently have insurance coverage for Dexcom, compared to roughly 87% of insulin users.
Step 2: Check Your Insurance Coverage
How you receive your G7 depends on how your insurance classifies it. Some plans cover it as a pharmacy benefit, meaning you pick it up at a retail pharmacy like CVS or Walgreens. Others classify it as durable medical equipment (DME), which means supplies ship to you from a designated medical supply distributor. Your insurance card or a call to your plan’s customer service line will clarify which applies to you.
For commercial insurance, coverage rates are strong. Close to 90% of people with type 1 diabetes on commercial plans have coverage. If your plan doesn’t cover the G7 as a pharmacy benefit, you can still receive it through your plan’s DME distributor.
Medicare Coverage
Medicare covers continuous glucose monitors if your doctor orders one and you meet two conditions: you take insulin or have a history of problematic low blood sugar, and you or your caregiver have completed training on how to use the device. Your provider must evaluate you and confirm eligibility before placing the order. Medicare typically processes CGMs through the DME pathway, so expect supplies to arrive by mail rather than from a pharmacy counter.
Step 3: Fill Your Prescription
If your insurance covers the G7 as a pharmacy benefit, your doctor sends the prescription to your pharmacy just like any other medication. You pick up a box of sensors (usually a 30-day supply) and pay your copay. Refills work the same way, typically every 30 days.
If it’s covered as DME, your doctor’s office will coordinate with an approved supplier. The supplier handles the insurance paperwork and ships sensors to your home on a recurring schedule. This route can take a bit longer to set up initially, sometimes a week or two while the supplier verifies coverage and processes prior authorization if required.
Reducing Your Out-of-Pocket Cost
Dexcom offers a pharmacy savings card that anyone with a prescription can use, saving $210 or more on every 30-day supply of sensors and more than $200 on a receiver. You can reuse the card each time you refill, up to 12 times per year. The catch: you have to opt out of insurance coverage and any other coupon or copay program to use it, so this works best for people paying cash or whose insurance copay is higher than the discounted price.
For people with lower incomes, Dexcom also runs a patient assistance program that offers additional discounts to eligible U.S. residents who meet certain income criteria. You can apply through Dexcom’s website.
One note for Medicare patients: Amazon redemption of the savings card is not available to you, so you’ll need to use a traditional pharmacy or DME supplier.
Make Sure Your Phone Is Compatible
The G7 pairs with a smartphone app that displays your glucose readings in real time, so checking phone compatibility before you start is worth the two minutes it takes. The app currently requires iOS 18.6.0 or later for iPhones and Android 13 or later for Android devices. It supports a wide range of phones from Apple, Samsung, Google Pixel, Motorola, OnePlus, and many others.
Dexcom maintains a full compatibility list on their website that you can search by phone model. If your phone doesn’t make the list, or if you’d rather not use your phone, you can purchase a standalone Dexcom receiver that displays your readings instead. If your phone’s operating system gets a major update, it’s worth checking the compatibility page before updating, as Dexcom sometimes needs time to certify new OS versions.
What the Timeline Looks Like
If you’re going through a pharmacy, the process can move quickly. Once your doctor sends the prescription, you could pick up your first box of sensors within a day or two. The DME route is slower because of the extra verification steps, but most people have supplies in hand within one to three weeks.
Once you have your first sensor, setup takes about 30 minutes. You apply the sensor to the back of your upper arm, pair it with your phone or receiver, and wait through a 30-minute warmup period. After that, you’ll see glucose readings updating every five minutes without any finger sticks required.