Establishes DoD Pilot Program to Provide Access to Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman Vern Buchanan, Vice Chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and Chair of the Health Subcommittee, introduced legislation to reduce the risk of onset of diabetes and obesity and increase the number of deployable servicemembers. Buchanan’s Fostering Operational Readiness through Continuous Evaluation of Fitness with Integrated Technology (FORCE-FIT) Act would establish a pilot program in the Department of Defense (DoD) to provide access to Continuous Glucose Monitoring Systems (CGMs) for servicemembers with certain health conditions to track metabolic health data.
“Our military is facing a national security challenge from within: too many young Americans are medically unfit to serve due to obesity and chronic disease,” said Buchanan. “My FORCE-FIT Act invests in cutting-edge preventive tools to help improve health, increase deployability and support our nation’s servicemembers. By addressing metabolic health early, we can reduce long-term health care costs, strengthen our forces and ensure military readiness for the future.”
Buchanan’s bill would authorize a pilot program for a period of five years to provide access to CGMs for servicemembers who have prediabetes, are overweight or obese, have type 2 diabetes and not taking insulin or for those who have a history of gestational diabetes, to explore the impact of real-time metabolic health tracking and early intervention on improving their health. The CGM would be provided in conjunction with programs and priorities for metabolic health awareness, education and services with the intention of improving force readiness.
The pilot program would be mandatory for servicemembers that the Individual Medical Readiness (IMR) tracking standards determine are either Partially Medically Ready (PMR) if PMR is a result of medical deficits, or Not Medically Ready (NMR). The goal is to get participants that are PMR and NMR to the Fully Medically Ready (FMR) status in order to be deemed deployable.
The rising obesity epidemic is a well-established national security issue. According to the American Security Project, obesity rates among active duty servicemembers doubled in the past decade. A 2020 Pentagon study found that 11 percent of young Americans would not qualify for military service due to being overweight or obese. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) tells a darker story, finding that just over one in three young adults aged 17-24 unable to serve in our military due to weight issues.
Buchanan’s bill is supported by the American Diabetes Association.
“Technological advances, such as continuous glucose monitors (CGMs), enable people with diabetes to manage their condition more safely and effectively, to maintain their health. It also holds potential benefits for those at risk of developing diabetes. Being in good health is particularly critical for people in the U.S. military, who work tirelessly to be fit to serve our nation. We applaud this measure, which will make CGM technology available to the military and support the national security and health access objectives of our country,” said Nuha Ali ElSayed, MD, MM Sc., Senior Vice President, American Diabetes Association.
Buchanan has been a leading advocate in Congress for combatting obesity within the military and ending the chronic disease epidemic. In February 2025, Buchanan introduced two bills (H.R. 1977, H.R. 1978) to conduct a study relating to obesity in the military and develop a strategy to reduce the prevalence of military obesity. In March 2025, Buchanan’s Chronic Disease Flexible Coverage Act (H.R. 919), which expands treatment options provided through employers’ healthcare coverage for Americans living with chronic diseases, passed the House with a unanimous bipartisan vote.
