Transparency: This blog has never owned or worn a CGM, including the FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus. There are no first-party readings and no first-hand wearing experience here. The article is based on Abbott’s German web pages, the FDA recall page and the safety notices published by Germany’s medical device regulator BfArM, all accessed on 23 Oct 2026 and linked below. Prices and insurance rules are for Germany. This article contains no affiliate links. More on methodology
The FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus is Abbott’s current glucose sensor for people with diabetes: it sits on the upper arm for up to 15 days, one day longer than the Libre 3, and works with the Libre app, the FreeStyle Libre 3 reader and two insulin pump systems. In Germany, self-payers pay €70.60 per sensor in Abbott’s web shop; people with statutory insurance on intensified insulin therapy get it on prescription if their insurer has a contract with Abbott. Before applying any sensor, run its serial number through the lot checker, because Libre 3 and 3 Plus are under an active recall.
⚠️ Recall notice, as of 23 October 2026: FreeStyle Libre 3 and Libre 3 Plus are under an FDA Class I recall, the most serious category. Affected sensors can report glucose values lower than actual blood glucose. As of 7 January 2026, Abbott has reported 860 serious injuries and 7 deaths to the FDA. The FDA instructs users to stop using affected sensors immediately and dispose of them.
Germany is in scope: Abbott says a subset of sensors shipped in Germany is affected, the FDA lot list has separate tabs for products inside and outside the US, and BfArM published the German manufacturer notice on 25 Nov 2025 (BfArM 55464/25). Check your serial number yourself: Lot checker, falsely low (Class I, Libre 3 + 3 Plus) · Lot checker, falsely high (Libre 3 Plus only) · FDA recall page.
Separately, there is a second issue with falsely high readings on the Libre 3 Plus, covered by its own BfArM notice 42777-25. Alternatives available in Germany are the Dexcom G7 and Dexcom Flex from Dexcom’s web shop, both intended for people with diabetes per the manufacturer; see our Dexcom overview.
Libre 3 Plus vs. Libre 3 at a glance
| FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus | FreeStyle Libre 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Wear time per Abbott | up to 15 days | up to 14 days |
| Cleared from | age 2, incl. pregnancy | age 4, incl. pregnancy |
| Size | 21 mm diameter, 2.9 mm high | 21 mm diameter, 2.9 mm high |
| Readings | every minute, 60 minutes after activation | every minute, 60 minutes after activation |
| Libre app and Libre 3 reader | yes | yes |
| Insulin pumps (AID) per Abbott Germany | Tandem t:slim X2, mylife Loop | mylife Loop |
| For self-payers from Abbott Germany | yes, €70.60 | no, only 3 Plus since 15 Oct 2024 |
| Statutory insurance per Abbott | contracts signed “step by step" | "almost all” statutory insurers |
| Recall, falsely low (Class I) | subset affected | subset affected |
| Issue, falsely high | four lots affected | not affected |
In short: size, app and reader are the same. The Plus lasts one day longer, is cleared for younger children and connects to more pump systems. As a self-payer in Germany you only get the Plus anyway.
Who is the Libre 3 Plus for?
People with diabetes. Abbott Germany describes the sensor as suitable “for people with type 1 as well as type 2 diabetes”, cleared for adults, pregnant women and children from age 2. For children up to 12, Abbott says an adult must supervise use.
Anyone without diabetes who buys a sensor pays out of pocket. A health benefit for healthy people has not been shown: a review in JAMA Internal Medicine from August 2026 finds only “limited and indirect evidence” even for people with prediabetes (Dower et al., 2026). The consumer sensors Abbott Lingo and Dexcom Stelo are not sold in Germany (Lingo vs. Libre 3 Plus).
Not to be confused with Libre Select: freestylelibre.de also lists a “Libre Select” sensor. It is aimed at people with type 2 diabetes, larger (35 mm diameter, 5 mm high) and, according to Abbott, not available to self-payers, only through certain insurer contracts.
What does the Libre 3 Plus cost?
Abbott’s German web shop offers two routes for self-payers and privately insured customers (as of 23 Oct 2026):
- One-off purchase: €70.60 per sensor, plus €5.95 shipping.
- PlusService subscription: same sensor price, free shipping. Abbott ships 26 sensors per year in four deliveries of 7, 6, 7 and 6 sensors, so the first delivery costs €494.20. According to Abbott you can pause or cancel at any time with no minimum term.
That works out to €4.71 per day at full wear time and €1,835.60 per year for 26 sensors.
German online pharmacies list the sensor under PZN 19383498. The shops we checked on 23 Oct 2026 also showed €70.60; availability varied, and one shop listed it as unavailable.
Does German health insurance pay?
Statutory insurance (GKV): the framework is a 2016 decision by the Federal Joint Committee (G-BA) on real-time CGM for insulin-requiring diabetes. Abbott names type 1 or type 2 diabetes with intensified insulin therapy as the requirement. For the Libre 3 Plus, Abbott says it is signing contracts with insurers “step by step”; the coverage checker on freestylelibre.de shows whether yours is included. For the older Libre 3, Abbott says “almost all” statutory insurers cover the cost, excluding the statutory co-payment.
The process: you submit the prescription to Abbott, and Abbott files the coverage application with your insurer. The exception is AOK Baden-Württemberg, where the prescription goes to ContraCare in Nuremberg. Abbott says coverage is decided case by case; the insurer can refuse.
Private insurance or Beihilfe (civil servants): reimbursement depends on your plan. You order in the web shop yourself and send prescription and invoice to your insurer.
Without diabetes: you pay yourself. A prescription does not change that.
Where to buy
- With a statutory prescription: through Abbott, see above.
- As a self-payer: in Abbott’s web shop or at a German pharmacy (PZN 19383498). According to the product page, the self-payer options in the web shop do not require a prescription; you only need one for insurance coverage.
We deliberately do not link CGM sensors through affiliate programmes. Wherever you buy: check the serial number before you apply the sensor. Abbott says you must select the country where you obtained the sensor in the lot checker, otherwise the number is evaluated against the wrong list.
App, smartphone and reader
- Libre app: iPhone on iOS 16.0 or later, or an NFC-capable Android phone on Android 11 or later. The model must be in the compatibility guide. According to Abbott, the Libre app replaces the old FreeStyle Libre 3 app. Detailed info on app compatibility, phone switching, and common errors: FreeStyle Libre 3 / 3 Plus App: Compatible Phones, Phone Switch, Common Errors.
- Smartwatch: Abbott Germany offers the Libre watch app for Apple Watch only.
- Reader: without a compatible phone you use the FreeStyle Libre 3 reader. Self-payers can order one per person in the web shop. The reader has a built-in blood glucose meter for finger-stick tests.
- App or reader, not both: a sensor is activated with either the app or the reader. Abbott says you cannot switch after activation.
- Sharing: readings can be shared with your clinic via LibreView and with family via LibreLinkUp.
- Daily life: water-resistant to 1 m for up to 30 minutes, according to Abbott.
Insulin pumps: which systems work?
According to Abbott Germany (as of 23 Oct 2026):
- Tandem AID system: Libre 3 Plus with the t:slim X2 insulin pump and the Tandem t:slim app. The pump uses the Control-IQ+ algorithm.
- mylife Loop: Libre 3 and Libre 3 Plus with the mylife YpsoPump and the mylife CamAPS FX app.
Abbott says further partnerships are in preparation, without names or dates. Other countries may have different integrations. Whether a system suits you is a question for your diabetes team.
Recall: how to check your sensor
Two separate issues, two checkers:
- Falsely low readings (Libre 3 and 3 Plus): enter the serial number at freestylecheck.com/de-de and select the country where you got the sensor. Abbott says the cause has been identified and fixed, and deliveries continue. For affected sensors still in their original packaging, Abbott sends replacements.
- Falsely high readings (Libre 3 Plus only): according to Abbott only lots T60002941, T60002904, T60002944 and T60002911 are affected. The lot number is printed on the bottom of the box. Check at freestyleconfirm.com/de-de.
Where to find the serial number: on the bottom of the applicator or the box. For a sensor you are already wearing, in the app under “About” (“Last 3 Sensors”), or on the reader under the gear icon > System Status > System Info. If you use a pump, check the pump manual.
If your sensor is affected: remove it and dispose of it immediately. Until the replacement arrives, Abbott says to make treatment decisions with a blood glucose meter. The same applies without a hit: if readings don’t match your symptoms, confirm with a finger-stick test.
According to Abbott and the FDA, Libre Select, FreeStyle Libre 2 and 2 Plus as well as the readers and apps are not affected.
Verdict
The Libre 3 Plus is the Libre 3 with one extra day of wear, clearance from age 2 and support for the Tandem pump system. In Germany, self-payers pay €70.60 per sensor, whether in Abbott’s web shop or at the online pharmacies we checked. With intensified insulin therapy, statutory insurance pays if your insurer has a contract with Abbott. One rule always applies: check the serial number first, then apply.
For more on the Libre 3 and whether a sensor is worth it without diabetes, see our Libre 3 fact check.
Sources
- Abbott Germany, FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus sensor (wear time, target group, age, app and reader, insurance, €70.60 in the PlusService subscription “at the same sensor price as a one-off purchase”, €5.95 shipping on one-off orders, 26 sensors per year), accessed 23 Oct 2026: freestylelibre.de
- Abbott Germany, FreeStyle Libre 3 sensor (only Libre 3 Plus for self-payers since 15 Oct 2024, 14 days, from age 4, insurance), accessed 23 Oct 2026: freestylelibre.de
- Abbott Germany, FAQ “Preise der Sensoren” (€70.60 for self-payers and private patients, Libre Select not for self-payers), accessed 23 Oct 2026: freestylelibre.de
- Abbott Germany, FAQ “Größe der Sensoren” (21 mm × 2.9 mm), accessed 23 Oct 2026: freestylelibre.de
- Abbott Germany, FAQ “Smartphone-Kompatibilität prüfen” (iOS 16.0, Android 11, Libre app replaces FreeStyle Libre 3 app), accessed 23 Oct 2026: freestylelibre.de
- Abbott Germany, Libre app (watch app for Apple Watch only), accessed 23 Oct 2026: freestylelibre.de
- Abbott Germany, FAQ “Lesegerät als Selbstzahler” (one reader per person), accessed 23 Oct 2026: freestylelibre.de
- Abbott Germany, FAQ “Antrag auf Kostenübernahme” (submit prescription to Abbott, exception AOK Baden-Württemberg), accessed 23 Oct 2026: freestylelibre.de
- Abbott Germany, partnerships and connectivity, Tandem AID system and mylife Loop, accessed 23 Oct 2026: overview · Tandem · mylife Loop
- Abbott Germany, Libre Select sensor (type 2 diabetes, insurer contracts only), accessed 23 Oct 2026: freestylelibre.de
- German online pharmacies, PZN 19383498 at €70.60, accessed 23 Oct 2026: apobring.de · amamed.de · apotheke.de (listed as unavailable)
- Federal Joint Committee (G-BA), decision of 16 Jun 2016 on rtCGM in insulin-requiring diabetes: g-ba.de
- FDA, “Glucose Monitor Sensor Recall: Abbott Diabetes Care Removes Certain FreeStyle Libre 3 and FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus Sensors” (Class I since 4 Feb 2026, 860 serious injuries and 7 deaths as of 7 Jan 2026), accessed 23 Oct 2026: fda.gov
- Abbott, German lot checker and FAQ on falsely low readings (subset of sensors shipped in Germany, cause fixed, replacements), accessed 23 Oct 2026: freestylecheck.com/de-de
- Abbott, German lot checker on falsely high readings (Libre 3 Plus only, four lots), accessed 23 Oct 2026: freestyleconfirm.com/de-de
- BfArM, notice 55464/25 on FreeStyle Libre 3 and 3 Plus, published 25 Nov 2025: bfarm.de
- BfArM, notice 42777/25 on FreeStyle Libre 3 Plus (falsely high readings, reference ADC FA1001-2025), published 15 Sep 2025: bfarm.de
- Dower JA et al., “Continuous Glucose Monitoring in Type 2 Diabetes and Beyond: A Review”, JAMA Internal Medicine, 3 Aug 2026: doi.org
Not affiliated with Abbott. “FreeStyle”, “Libre” and related brand marks are trademarks of Abbott. Not medical advice: questions about therapy and pumps belong with your diabetes team. As of 23 October 2026.