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Medicare Diabetes Supplies and Drugs: Which Coverage Pays?

Adapted from Medicare Coverage of Diabetes Supplies, Services, & Prevention Programs, Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. The selected guidance concerns Medicare coverage and payment, not a recommendation for medical treatment. Numbered page references below refer to the linked source publication.

Coverage can depend on medical necessity, the setting, provider participation, and your plan’s rules. Use the cited publication for the full conditions and check the plan year when comparing costs or enrollment choices.

Diabetes supplies & equipment

This section gives you information about which supplies and equipment Medicare Part B (Medical Insurance) covers.

Blood glucose meters & supplies

Blood glucose meters help you check your blood glucose (sugar) level at home using a small sample of blood, usually taken from your fingertip. Part B covers blood glucose meters and related supplies as durable medical equipment, including:

  • Test strips
  • Lancets and lancet holders
  • Control solutions (for checking test strip and glucose meter accuracy)

The amount of supplies Part B covers varies. Every 3 months, you may be able to:

  • Get up to 300 test strips and 300 lancets, if you use insulin.
  • Get 100 test strips and 100 lancets, if you don’t use insulin.

Note: If your doctor says it’s medically necessary, and you meet other requirements, Medicare will allow you to get more test strips and lancets. You may need to keep a record that shows how often you’re actually testing yourself.

Continuous glucose monitors

Continuous glucose monitors track your blood sugar levels through a device that’s attached to your body. If you have diabetes, Part B may cover a continuous glucose monitor and related supplies (like sensors). Before your doctor or other health care provider orders a continuous glucose monitor, they must evaluate you and make sure that you meet the following conditions:

  • You take insulin or have a history of problems with low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).
  • You or your caregiver have had enough training to use a continuous glucose monitor.

If you use a continuous glucose monitor, you must make routine in-person or Medicare-approved telehealth visits with your doctor.

Insulin pumps

If you use an insulin pump worn outside the body (external) that isn’t disposable, Part B may cover insulin used with the pump and the pump itself as durable medical equipment. If you have a Part D plan, it may cover certain disposable pumps. Go to “Insulin” on page 10 for more information.

What do I need from my doctor to get these supplies covered? Medicare will only cover equipment and supplies if you get a prescription from your doctor. The prescription should include information, like:

  • Whether you have diabetes.
  • What kind of glucose meter equipment you need and why you need it. (If you need a special monitor because of vision problems, your doctor must explain that.)
  • Whether you use insulin.
  • How often you should test your blood sugar.
  • How many test strips and lancets you need for one month.

Note: You need a new prescription from your doctor for your lancets and test strips every 12 months. You also must ask for refills for your supplies.

Where can I get these supplies? You can order your supplies from your pharmacy or through a medical equipment supplier (any company, person, or agency that gives you a medical item or service, except when you’re an inpatient in a hospital or skilled nursing facility) after your doctor gives you or sends the prescription(s). If you use a mail-order pharmacy or medical equipment supplier, you’ll need to call them to place your order.

What pharmacy or supplier should I use? Make sure you get your supplies from a pharmacy or supplier that participates in Medicare and accepts assignment. This means:

  • Your out-of-pocket costs may be less.
  • They agree to charge you only the Medicare deductible and coinsurance amount and usually wait for Medicare to pay its share before asking you to pay your share.
  • They have to submit your claim directly to Medicare and can’t charge you for submitting the claim.

If your pharmacy or supplier doesn’t accept assignment, you’ll pay the entire charge at the time of service. Before you get any supplies, ask the pharmacy or supplier:

  • Do you participate in Medicare?
  • Do you accept assignment?

Visit Medicare.gov/medical-equipment-suppliers to find a supplier that participates in Medicare. You can also call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

Note: Medicare won’t pay for any supplies you didn’t ask for, or supplies that were sent to you automatically from suppliers, including glucose meters, test strips, and lancets. If you’re getting misleading advertisements, supplies sent automatically, or suspect fraud related to your supplies, call 1-800-MEDICARE.

How do I replace lost or damaged durable medical equipment or supplies in a disaster or emergency? If Original Medicare already paid for durable medical equipment (like a traditional insulin pump) or supplies (like diabetes-related supplies) and they’re damaged or lost due to an emergency or disaster:

  • In certain cases, Medicare will cover the cost to repair or replace your equipment or supplies.
  • Generally, Medicare will also cover the cost of rentals for items (like wheelchairs) while your equipment is being repaired.

For more information, visit Medicare.gov/providers-services/disaster-emergency, or call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227). TTY users can call 1-877-486-2048.

Therapeutic shoes or inserts

If you have diabetes and severe diabetes-related foot disease, Part B will cover one of these each year:

  • One pair of depth-inlay shoes and 3 pairs of inserts
  • One pair of custom-molded shoes (including inserts) if you can’t wear depth-inlay shoes because of a foot deformity, and 2 more pairs of inserts

Medicare may also cover separate inserts or shoe modifications instead of inserts, in certain cases.

How do I get therapeutic shoes or inserts? For Medicare to pay for your therapeutic shoes or inserts, the doctor treating your diabetes must certify that you meet these 3 conditions:

  • You have diabetes.
  • You have at least one of these conditions in one or both feet:
  • A deformed foot
  • Calluses that could lead to foot ulcers
  • Nerve damage because of diabetes with signs of problems with calluses
  • Partial or complete foot amputation
  • Past foot ulcers
  • Poor circulation
  • You’re being treated under a comprehensive diabetes care plan and need therapeutic shoes and/or inserts because of diabetes.

Medicare also requires that:

  • A podiatrist (foot doctor) or other qualified health care provider prescribes the shoes or inserts.
  • A doctor or other qualified individual (like a pedorthist, orthotist, or prosthetist) fits and provides your shoes or inserts.

Diabetes drugs

This section gives you information about which diabetes drugs are covered by Medicare drug coverage (Part D) or Medicare Advantage Plans with drug coverage.

Negotiating drug prices: Medicare is negotiating with participating drug companies over the price of certain expensive brand-name Medicare Part B and Part D drugs that don’t have competition, including drugs to treat diabetes. Prices for the first 10 Part D drugs that Medicare negotiated became available on January 1, 2026, and prices for the next 15 drugs that Medicare negotiated under Part D take effect on January 1, 2027. Contact your plan for details on how these negotiated prices might affect you. To learn more, visit Medicare.gov/how-drug-plans-work.

Diabetes drugs

Part D plans cover a variety of diabetes drugs. Check with your plan to find out which drugs they cover.

Insulin

Part B covers insulin used with an insulin pump that’s covered as durable medical equipment under Part B.

If you have a Part D plan, it may cover:

  • Injectable insulin (insulin you inject with a pen or a needle)
  • Insulin you use with pumps that aren’t covered as durable medical equipment under Part B, including:
  • Disposable pumps that are changed after 2-3 days (also called patch pumps)
  • Certain reusable pumps that use disposable insulin cartridges
  • Insulin that’s inhaled

The cost of a one-month supply of each Part B- and Part D-covered insulin is no more than $35, and you don’t have to pay a deductible for your insulin. If you get Extra Help (a Medicare program to help people with limited income and resources pay Medicare Part D premiums, deductibles, coinsurance, and other costs) you’ll pay less than $35.

If you get a two-month or three-month supply of insulin, your costs can’t be more than $35 for each month’s supply of each covered insulin product. For example, you’ll generally pay no more than $70 for a two-month supply of covered insulin. Similar limits on costs apply for insulin used in traditional insulin pumps covered under Part B.

Note: If you live in certain areas of the country, you may have to use specific insulin pump suppliers for Medicare to pay for a durable insulin pump.

Insulin-related supplies

If you have a Part D plan, it may cover certain supplies that you use to inject insulin, like:

  • Alcohol swabs
  • Gauze
  • Needles
  • Syringes

Part B doesn’t cover insulin pens or insulin-related supplies, like syringes, needles, alcohol swabs, or gauze.

Source and further reading

Medicare Coverage of Diabetes Supplies, Services, & Prevention Programs — Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Public domain U.S. government educational material, accessed October 28, 2026. Fynoptic has selected sections, removed print navigation, and reformatted the text for this guide. The agency does not endorse Fynoptic.

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