CGM/GM Price Comparison

tim2000s

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
8,934
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
Thought it would be useful to start a topic looking at the pricing of the various CGM and GM options out there. Feel free to add others as they come up. This is solely for stand alone systems. Those with the Animas Vibe or Medtronic pumps, for example, can add their own posts with the TCO detailed.

So, what are the costs?

Dexcom G4 (available direct from Dexcom) - No longer available:

Sensor Pack (4 sensors): £205
Replacement Transmitter: £260
Receiver Kit: £350

Lifetime of sensor: Est. 4 weeks
Lifetime of Transmitter: Est 12-14 months

First year cost assuming 1 sensor lasts for a month: £1170
Second year cost (including replacement transmitter): £875

Total Two Year cost: £2045

Dexcom G5 (available direct from Dexcom):

Sensor Pack (4 sensors): £205
Replacement Transmitter: £200
Receiver Kit: £275

Lifetime of sensor: Est. 4 weeks
Lifetime of Transmitter: 3 months

First year cost assuming 1 sensor lasts for a month: £1690
Second year cost (including replacement transmitters): £1415

Total Two Year cost: £3105

Dexcom G6 (available direct from Dexcom):

Sensors: £55
Replacement Transmitter: £200
Receiver Kit: Not required

Alternatively - monthly subscription - £159 per month

Lifetime of sensor: Est. 2 weeks
Lifetime of Transmitter: 3 months

Total annual cost using pay monthly: £1908
Total Annual cost buying individual components (20 days per sensor/6 months per transmitter): ~£1400


Abbott Freestyle Libre:

Start up kit: £138
Sensors: £48 per sensor
Replacement reader (if you lose/break the original): £48

Lifetime of Sensor: 14 days

First year cost: £1290
Second year cost: £1248

Total Two year cost: £2538

No longer available
Abbott Freestyle Navigator CGM:
System Kit (includes transmitter, receiver, skins and cables): £950
Sensors (6 sensors): £288 - if purchased in bulk, 18 per time, 10% discount applies
Replacement Transmitter: £400

Lifetime of transmitter: 1 year
Lifetime of sensor: 5 days

First year cost (assuming sensors bought on monthly basis): £4694
First year cost if able to afford bulk buying: £4060
Second year cost: £3856
Second year cost if able to afford bulk buying: £3510

Total Two year cost (assuming no bulk discounts): £8550


Obviously, having a pump with the built in CGM capability vastly reduces the initial start-up costs on the Dexcom.

Both the Dexcom and the Abbott Navigator are true CGM and provide alerting for blood glucose level variation, which isn't something that can be achieved with the Freestyle Libre.

The way that Abbott charge for the Libre allows for a much easier spread of the cost over the annualised payment period, which makes it significantly more affordable. It also works out 50% cheaper in the first year, however, over a two year period, the difference between the Libre and Dexcom works out at less than 10%. If Advanced Therapeutics offer free postage, this difference works out to be even lower.

To me, the Abbott Navigator doesn't get a look in due to the cost of the product for no additional benefit.
 
Last edited:

Engineer88

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,130
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Ok so this is for Dexcom with animas vibe pump. Following tim's example above

Start-up Kit ( Transmitter, 4 sensors): £500
Sensor Pack (4 sensors): £186
Replacement Transmitter: £325 (no one buys this - re buy starter pack)

Lifetime of sensor: Estimated 4 weeks (which I get)
Lifetime of Transmitter: Estimated 12-14 months

First year cost assuming 1 sensor lasts for a month: £1058
Second year cost (including replacement transmitter): £1058

Total Two Year cost: £2116

This does not take into account that people get less or more per sensor and replacement sensors due to failure. I would imagine I pay closer to £850 a year which is 2.33 a day.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 4 people

DunePlodder

Well-Known Member
Messages
861
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
It really is down to how much life you can squeeze out of a Dexcom sensor - some people get a maximum of 2 weeks. So for them it would be considerably more expensive. And of course, you don't know until you try it..
For some reason I don't do as well as I used to, a couple of my recent ones only got to 18 days. The current one is on day 26 but I had a session of "???"s yesterday.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

tim2000s

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
8,934
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
Yes, if you only get two weeks out of the Dexcom sensor, then the two year cost goes up to £4650, if standalone.
 

Spicey245

Well-Known Member
Messages
294
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Diet only
Dislikes
Working full time, fairground rides or anything which makes too much adrenaline!
I have just been put on the Dexcom G4 by my diabetic clinic so I can try it out. They have "unblinded" it for me so I can use it as I would if I was to own one. So far it's been a real eye opener and is a fabulous tool to have! :) Plus it's really quite accurate too!! :) I'm seriously now thinking about getting the Animas pump so I can have the integrated CGM.
 

zjed

Well-Known Member
Messages
110
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Lazy Doctors and Endos
I've started looking seriously at getting a cgm and I'm getting a g4 trial in a couple of weeks.
Looking at the ongoing costs, I think the g4/libre will be about the same if you can get > 14 days out of a g4 sensor.
The g4 also has the major advantage of a low bgl alarm which is probably worth the extra upfront cost.
@tim2000s I see you've gone with the libre, any reasoning behind this, or are you just trying them out?
My dilemma is going to be, get the g4 now, wait for the libre which could be any time or wait for g5.
Might just be a good time to start saving my pennies.
 

tim2000s

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
8,934
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
@zjed, I went with the libre due to the low start up cost. £130 to start using it is very different to the £1300 I was being asked for from Dexcom.
 
  • Like
Reactions: miriamy and Spiker

zjed

Well-Known Member
Messages
110
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Dislikes
Lazy Doctors and Endos
G4 in UK seems a little more expensive than here. My start up costs would be 1800AUD = 900 pound (got no pound key).
I don't like that they offer specials, package deals and different prices in different areas. It's a medical product, it should be at the lowest possible price for everyone.
It may be due to government subsidies/health insurance in UK. Here there is no subsidies and private health insurance doesn't cover cgms.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bludnok

DunePlodder

Well-Known Member
Messages
861
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
There does seem to be something of a postcode lottery when it comes to funding. I was reading a message the other day where the poster said it was quite common in her area for both pumps & CGM.
She lives in Southport..
 
Last edited by a moderator:

tim2000s

Expert
Retired Moderator
Messages
8,934
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Other
A little update on this one:

If you go Xdrip and can source transmitter and sensors without the Dexcom Receiver, then it is a lot cheaper to go Dexcom:

Dexcom G4 using xDrip (may not be available through Advanced Therapeutics):

Sensor Pack (4 sensors): £250
Replacement Transmitter: £325
XDrip Receiver: £50

Lifetime of sensor: Est. 4 weeks
Lifetime of Transmitter: Est 12-14 months

First year cost assuming 1 sensor lasts for four weeks: £1375
Second year cost (including replacement transmitter): £1075

This brings it pretty much in line with the Libre costs and in my book actually gives you better functionality. This assume you can buy the relevant pieces without the Dexcom Receiver of course...
 

Spiker

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,685
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
The Xdrip costs above would presumably be the same as if you had an NHS provided (free) Animas Vibe pump as the receiver.
 

martina

Well-Known Member
Messages
87
I'm thinking of a cgm for my daughter but confused as to why the Dexcom is so much dearer than the Libre if they all do the same thing.
 

jodysd6

Well-Known Member
Messages
190
I'm thinking of a cgm for my daughter but confused as to why the Dexcom is so much dearer than the Libre if they all do the same thing.

The dexcom provides audible alarms when going high or low to alert you, the libre you would only see what you are at when you scan so for example if you are only scanning with libre before bed and on waking you could see in the morning if you had been low overnight but the dexcom would have alarmed and alerted you at the actual time!
 
  • Like
Reactions: caius2x8

chloe1402

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Could someone give me the links for where they buy the dexcom g4 start up kits/sensors etc. Looking into self funding myself and would like to source the sites where I would be purchasing from. Thanks
 

catapillar

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,390
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Insulin
Advanced therapeutics have just increased their prices slightly - so it is now £260 for a pack of 4 sensors / £65 each.


Edited by a mod as referring to pre-edit title and no longer relevant
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • Like
Reactions: 2 people

chloe1402

Newbie
Messages
3
Type of diabetes
Type 1
Treatment type
Pump
Animas supply the sensors and transmitters at a lower cost.
Ahh ok thanks. Any idea of how much of a reduced cost? I've looked on the Animas website but can't seem to find anything to do with the cgm bits.
Again thanks for all your useful info. Much appreciated
 
  • Like
Reactions: caius2x8