Abbott said it is facing pricing pressure and slower growth ahead of a planned coverage expansion for people with Type 2 diabetes. Competitor Dexcom, however, did not experience the same slowdown.

Abbott and Dexcom, market leaders for continuous glucose monitors, are focusing on insurance coverage and pricing ahead of a planned Medicare expansion.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services is expected to broaden coverage of the devices for people with Type 2 diabetes who don’t take insulin, a decision that would benefit both companies. Dexcom CEO Jake Leach expects the CMS to announce a decision before the end of the year, he said in a Thursday earnings call.

In June, Dexcom shared results of a study of its glucose sensors that found people with Type 2 diabetes who don’t take insulin benefited from wearing the devices compared with the standard of care. The results were published in the New England Journal of Medicine last month.

Leach said Dexcom has shared the publication with medical directors evaluating the submission for Medicare coverage expansion, and also hopes to see the evidence included in the American Diabetes Association’s upcoming standards of care.

Abbott’s diabetes business slowed in the third quarter, which CEO Robert Ford attributed to a lack of recent reimbursement expansions and pricing pressures outside of the U.S.

The company cut its sales growth forecast for the year due to slower than expected growth in its diabetes and electrophysiology businesses.

It’s been harder to reach people with Type 2 diabetes without a reimbursement expansion, Ford said.

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