expanded coverage of continuous glucose monitors set to give ontarians living with diabetes greater choice in how they manage their diabetes
the ontario drug benefit plan will now cover dexcom g7 for people who use insulin to manage their diabetes
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for ray desautels, who lives with type 2 diabetes, the dexcom g7 is “a game-changer.” april carandang
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this story was created by content works, postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of a client.
ray desautels, now 67, was unexpectedly plunged into an unwelcome world of finger pricks, daily self-injections, and constant mental vigilance about 25 years ago.
during an er visit for a gallstone attack, the former public school teacher learned he had type 2 diabetes (t2d) when a doctor reviewing desautels’ chart asked when he had last taken his diabetes medication. when desautels responded that he didn’t have diabetes, “the doctor looked up and said, ‘oh yes you do,’” desautels recalls.
not long afterward, it became clear desautels’ blood sugar levels would not adequately respond to oral medications, and he switched to insulin. “living with a chronic disease can be stressful and overwhelming,” desautels says. “it’s always lurking in the background. you’re always thinking and worrying — it never goes away.”
desautels says managing his diabetes also felt like he was trying to drive while only getting periodic glimpses through the windshield. those flashes were the singular readings from the traditional glucose monitor he used to use to navigate t2d.
“i hated finger pricks. they hurt every single time. and they only give you information for that one moment in time,” he explains. the twice-yearly a1c blood test that provides a snapshot of average blood sugars was similarly limited.
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calculating correct doses of insulin could be challenging, and a few episodes of dangerously low blood glucose levels, “put the fear of god into me,” desautels says. “i would take less insulin than maybe i should have, because i was scared of those lows. so i would keep my glucose levels in the higher range.”
thanks to the recent expansion of the ontario drug benefit plan (odb) to cover dexcom’s g7 continuous glucose monitoring system (cgm) for people with diabetes who require insulin*, many more individuals like ray desautels will now be able to manage their condition with greater confidence and peace of mind.
just one of the many challenges the estimated 1.7 million ontarians living with type 1 diabetes (t1d) and t2d face is being able to keep their glucose levels within a target range to reduce the likelihood of a long list of life-altering complications. these include heart attacks, stroke, vision loss, kidney failure, nerve damage and amputation.
“the other big challenge is that average a1c is a rudimentary measure of how somebody is doing with their diabetes,” notes dr. alexander abitbol, an endocrinologist and assistant medical director at lmc healthcare in toronto.
“in recent years, research has revealed that a better standard, especially if you’re using insulin, is not just a good average that makes for good control, but you also want to spend a lot of time in the right target glucose range,” dr. abitbol adds. “that is nicely addressed with cgm systems like the dexcom g7.” dexcom cgm is clinically proven to lower a1c and increase time in range.1-5
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cgm sensors measure glucose in the interstitial fluid with a fine sensor wire that is painlessly applied just underneath the skin. the dexcom g7 sensor is small and comfortable with multiple approved wear locations for greater discretion. it doesn’t require scanning and has a fast 30-minute sensor warm-up time. it’s also the only waterproof sensor on the market.†
the system provides the user with real-time glucose readings that allow them to make much better-informed decisions about their health. for one, cgms give immediate feedback on how a given food affects an individual’s glucose, which can differ from one person to the next. this information can lead to smarter treatment decisions and behaviour change which makes a difference over time.
desautels, for example, discovered that seemingly identical slices of pizza from two different restaurants have hugely diverging effects on his glucose levels. without a cgm, “you’d have to do finger pricks continuously to get that information,” he says. since desautels’ dexcom g7 connects to his apple watch,‡ if he starts feeling a bit hungry in the middle of an activity — which sometimes signals a drop in glucose — he can simply ask, “hey siri” to get an update on what his numbers are.
cgm gives immediate feedback on how a given food affects an individual’s glucose, which can differ from one person to the next. april carandang
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the dexcom g7 can also calculate glucose averages for different time periods, such as 7, 14 or 30 days. desautels uses this feature to gamify his glucose management, especially after a minor stumble. “i love using it as a challenge to get back on the bandwagon,” he says.
cgms also ease the fear of a potentially deadly low glucose episode occurring during sleep. the dexcom g7 in particular, “has a predictive urgent low soon alert, so you can know you’re about to go into the danger zone and can promptly respond,” desautels says.
“in the olden days, some people made themselves wake up at three in the morning to make sure their glucose didn’t dip down too low, or felt compelled to eat before bed, which leads to high glucose levels in the morning,” dr. abitbol adds.
with expanded odb coverage, more people on insulin can now access dexcom g7 — and choose the system that best fits their personal diabetes care goals.
one group of people who stand to benefit are those 65 and older with insulin-dependent diabetes.
the coverage expansion makes dexcom g7 the most-covered cgm on government-funded programs in ontario for people on insulin§,6 through the following programs: odb, the assistive devices program (adp), non-insured health benefits (nihb), and most private insurance plans.
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studies have found that cgm use leads to significant improvements in clinical outcomes. that means broader access to the devices should help users to achieve better diabetes control and potentially prevent or postpone complications such as amputation and heart attacks. “that’s a huge personal and government savings,” desautels says. his own dexcom g7, he adds, “has definitely helped me lower my a1c. it’s a game-changer.”
talk to your doctor and see if dexcom g7 is a good fit to help manage your diabetes. choose the #1 patient recommended cgm in canada.||,7
this story was created by healthing content works, healthing.ca’s commercial content division, on behalf of dexcom.
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*for odb eligible persons who are on insulin therapy for diabetes and who have a valid prescription for dexcom g7 from a physician or nurse practitioner. for detailed coverage criteria, please visit https://www.dexcom.com/en-ca/coverage/ontario-provincial-cgm-coverage.
†the dexcom g7 sensor is waterproof and may be submerged under eight feet of water for up to 24 hours without failure when properly installed.
‡smart device sold separately. to view a list of compatible devices, visit dexcom.com/compatibility. compatible smartphone is required to pair a new dexcom g7 sensor with a compatible apple watch.
§dexcom g7 is the only cgm covered by odb, adp, most private insurance & nihb for people on insulin. eligibility and coverage vary by policy, plan, and payor. for insurance assistance call dexcom canada at 1-844-832-1810 with any questions.
||based on a comparison in nps scores across major cgm brands.
†the dexcom g7 sensor is waterproof and may be submerged under eight feet of water for up to 24 hours without failure when properly installed.
‡smart device sold separately. to view a list of compatible devices, visit dexcom.com/compatibility. compatible smartphone is required to pair a new dexcom g7 sensor with a compatible apple watch.
§dexcom g7 is the only cgm covered by odb, adp, most private insurance & nihb for people on insulin. eligibility and coverage vary by policy, plan, and payor. for insurance assistance call dexcom canada at 1-844-832-1810 with any questions.
||based on a comparison in nps scores across major cgm brands.
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1 beck rw, et al. jama. 2017;317(4):371-378.
2 beck rw, et al. ann intern med. 2017;167(6):365-374.
3 martens t, et al. jama. 2021;325(22):2262-2272.
4 laffel lm, et al. jama. 2020;323(23):2388-2396.
5 welsh jb, et al. j diabetes sci technol. 2024;18(1):143-7.
6 dexcom, data on file, 2025
7 dq&a, canada diabetes connections patient panel report, 2024.
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