In this section we’ll discuss

• Nonprofit Patient Assistance Programs For People With Type 1 Diabetes
• Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs)
• State-Based Patient Assistant Programs for People with Type 1 Diabetes

“I honestly think I got the most help from calling the manufacturer’s assistance programs. They have a really good grip on how their products are covered, and they gave me great advice on how to lower my costs.”
—T1D patient, WY

Nonprofit Patient Assistance Programs for Type 1 Diabetes

There are a number of patient and insulin assistance programs available to help with the costs of your medication, many of them run by nonprofit organizations. They include the following:

• GetInsulin.org. JDRF is pleased to partner with Beyond Type 1 and dozens of other organizations on GetInsulin.org, a new tool that will help meet the immediate need for people in the United States to access insulin while we continue working on long-term solutions to address insulin affordability. Anyone in need of help can visit GetInsulin.org for a customized action plan, available in English and Spanish.
• Partnership for Prescription Assistance is a program sponsored by pharmaceutical companies, doctors, patient advocacy organizations and civic groups that helps low-income, uninsured patients get free or low-cost brand-name medications.
• NeedyMeds is a nonprofit organization that maintains an extensive database of patient assistance programs, state assistance, medication discount programs and free or low-cost medical care. You can search its database for free. The site also has information on thousands of programs to help consumers through the application process.
• RxAssist is an online database of pharmaceutical company programs that provide free or affordable medicines and co-pay assistance.
• RxHope is a web-based resource where you can search by medication to locate assistance programs. It also offers help with the application process.
• RxOutreach is a nonprofit mail-order pharmacy for uninsured or underinsured people.
• The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) also has a publication called “Financial Help for Diabetes Care,” which offers information about resources that may help with medical expenses of a person with diabetes. You can view this publication online or order copies from the National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse at 1-800-860-8747.

Pharmaceutical Company Patient Assistance Programs

You may be able to get help with the costs of insulin and medication through drug assistance programs from pharmaceutical companies, known as patient assistance programs (PAP). Each program has its own eligibility requirements for people with type 1 diabetes, so it’s important to check those details. Here are a few programs offering assistance for insulin:

• The Lilly Cares Foundation Patient Assistance Program
• NovoCare Patient Affordability and Access Support
• The Sanofi Patient Assistance Program
• Afrezza Assist Program 
• The Johnson & Johnson Patient Assistance Program

If you need financial assistance or support navigating your insurance system to access Tzield (teplizumab), contact Provention Bio’s Compass program.

You can also find a program by searching on the medication name here.

If you need assistance with your pump supplies or CGM, directly contact the manufacturer via their customer service number.

• Medtronic: 1-800-646-4633
• Tandem: 1-877-801-6901, option 3
• Insulet: 1-800-591-3455
• Dexcom at 1-888-738-3646
• Abbott Diabetes Care: 1-855-632-8658

Pharmaceutical Company Co-Pay Coupons

Co-pay coupon cards can be used by anyone, regardless of income, to reduce your out of pocket costs at the pharmacy. They often can be used for one or two years before you must re-sign up. One catch to using these coupons is that to the costs they cover may not count toward your deductible or out-of-pocket maximum. Also, you may not use these coupons if you have Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare or other government health insurance. Read the details for each coupon to determine if the coupon will work for your situation.

You can find more information about each of the coupons here:

• Novo Nordisk
• Eli Lilly
• Sanofi
• Xeris (Gvoke)

State-Based Patient Assistant Programs for People with Type 1 Diabetes

Many states also offer medication assistance programs for people with chronic conditions like type 1 diabetes. These programs vary greatly by state, so make sure to check the program criteria. Search what’s available in your state here.

Other Options for Low Cost Insulin

Private Label Insulin

A number of national drug store and pharmacy chains also have their own prescription programs to help customers save money on certain medications. Stores with these programs include Costco, CVS, Kmart, Rite Aid, Target, Walmart, and others. Speak with your pharmacist at any of these stores for details.

Walmart offers an insulin aspart, manufactured by Novo Nordisk, called ReliOn Novolog in both vials and Flex Pens. ReliOn Novolog will be offered for $72.88 per vial and $85.88 per five-pen box of FlexPens. For more information see Walmart’s announcement. If interested in ReliOn Novolog, consult your provider and locate a Walmart pharmacy near you.

Eli Lilly’s Insulin Lispro a non-branded version of Humalog®, has a lower list price and is identical to Humalog in composition.

Novo Nordisk offers non-branded versions of NovoLog and NovoLog Mix called Insulin Aspart and Insulin Aspart Mix, respectively, at a lower list price than NovoLog and NovoLog Mix. 

Viatris has launched a non-branded version of it’s FDA approved interchangeable biosimilar to lantus – insulin glargine-yfgn. This non-branded biosimilar of Lantus® has a lower list price and may be interchanged with Lantus at the pharmacy counter in most states without a physician order.   

Biosimilar Interchangeable Insulins

An interchangeable biosimilar insulin has recently been approved by the FDA. A biosimilar product is highly similar to, and has no clinically meaningful differences in safety, purity, and potency (safety and effectiveness) from an existing FDA-approved reference product. An interchangeable biosimilar can be substituted by the pharmacist with its reference product.  The only currently available interchangeable biosimilar insulin is called Semglee (insulin glargine-yfgn).

Community Health Centers

Community Health Centers are health care providers that provide medical care for anyone, with or without insurance and with a sliding scale payment option (your cost to use the center is tied to your income).  A list of these health centers can be found here: https://findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov.  They can help you access insulin or other prescriptions at a reduced cost.

Ask your physician for samples

If you are struggling to afford insulin, be sure to tell your health care provider. Your primary care provider or endocrinologist may have insulin samples available in their office.  They also can help you find ways to reduce your costs by writing a larger quantity prescription, changing brands or formulas or documenting your medical needs for other assistance programs.

Older formulations of insulin

If you are in immediate need of insulin and have no health insurance coverage and limited funds, it is possible to obtain very affordable older types of insulin over the counter from Walmart or Sam’s Club.  This insulin is sold under the ReliOn name and costs $25 for a 10mL vial.  It works differently than newer insulins, so you will need to learn how to dose it correctly.

 

JDRF maintains a forum where insurance issues can be discussed.
If you have questions for the community, you can post them here!

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