Substantial Medicare savings may result if insurers cover 'artificial pancreas' sooner for diabetes patients.

Technologies to improve diabetes care have advanced considerably with the introduction of the insulin pump and continuous glucose monitoring. These two technologies are now being joined and enhanced to create an artificial pancreas. The current study models the impact of the artificial pancreas on clinical results and costs over time, based on early results from clinical trials. The modeling shows that insurers' coverage of the cost of an artificial pancreas at a relatively early point in the life of a patient with diabetes would greatly reduce future complications of the disease and spending needed to treat such complications. Projected Medicare savings are $937 million in nominal dollars after twenty-five years. The results of this analysis support conducting a more comprehensive trial to assess the long-term impact of the artificial pancreas on glucose levels and the technology's related costs.