What is the My$99 insulin program and what benefits does it offer?

A 30-day supply of insulin typically costs $35 or less for most people due to federal caps, manufacturer savings programs, and state laws.

Medicare and Insurance

• Medicare Part D: Out-of-pocket costs are capped at a maximum of $35 per month for each covered insulin product, with no deductible required.
• Commercial Insurance: Many private and employer plans cover insulin, and numerous states have enacted laws capping 30-day copays between $0 and $100 (often $35 or less depending on the state).
• Copay Cards: Major brand programs (such as Novo Nordisk or Sanofi) often let commercially insured patients pay as little as $5 to $35 per 30-day supply using savings cards.

Uninsured and Retail Costs

• Manufacturer Programs: The major insulin manufacturers (Eli Lilly, Novo Nordisk, and Sanofi) offer voluntary savings programs or patient assistance options that limit out-of-pocket costs to $35 a month even if you do not have insurance.
• Discount Coupons: Using discount platforms like GoodRx can lower the retail price of generic or analog insulins (such as insulin glargine or insulin lispro) down to about $30 to $55 per vial or pen carton if manufacturer caps are not applied directly.
• Retail Cash Prices: Without any discounts or insurance, list prices remain high—frequently exceeding $100 to $300 per vial or pack of pens depending on the brand and formulation.

The average out-of-pocket cost for insulin is now $35 or less per month for many patients in the U.S. due to federal caps, state laws, and manufacturer savings programs.

Monthly Cost Breakdown

• Medicare: Monthly out-of-pocket costs are capped at $35 for Part B and Part D.
• Commercial Insurance: Many private health plans have out-of-pocket copay caps ranging from $25 to $100 per month depending on state regulations.
• Uninsured / Cash Price: Major manufacturers like Eli Lilly and Sanofi cap out-of-pocket expenses at $35 per month through specific savings programs, though list prices before insurance or discounts can still range from $100 to over $1,000 per month.

If you cannot afford insulin, you should contact your doctor immediately to explore lower-cost alternatives, apply for manufacturer patient assistance programs, or go to a hospital emergency room if you are completely out of medicine.

Never ration or skip your insulin doses, as this can cause a life-threatening emergency called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA).

Immediate Financial Relief and Programs

• Manufacturer Caps: Major insulin makers cap out-of-pocket costs at $35 a month for many eligible patients. Check programs from Lilly Insulin Value Program, Novo Nordisk (Novocare), or Sanofi.
• Access Tools: Use GetInsulin.org to find a personalized action plan based on your income, location, and prescription needs.
• Immediate Emergency Supply: Some manufacturers offer a one-time, short-term emergency supply of insulin if you are at immediate risk of running out.

Alternative Low-Cost Options

• Talk to Your Doctor: Ask your physician to prescribe older, generic, or lower-cost brands of insulin.
• Over-the-Counter Insulins: Some pharmacies sell older formulations (like Regular or NPH insulin) without a prescription for a lower price. Use these only with caution and guidance from a doctor, as they are harder to manage and raise the risk of dangerous blood sugar drops.
• Community Health Centers: Local clinics often provide sliding-scale fees or samples to patients in financial distress.

The list price for Awiqli (insulin icodec-abae), the first once-weekly basal insulin injection, is $99 per package in the United States, with eligible patients paying as little as $35 to $55 per month through savings programs.

Cost Breakdown in the U.S.

• List Price: $99 per package (retail or average cash prices can vary by pharmacy up to about $108–$118 without savings).
• Insured / Medicare Copay: As low as $35 per month for eligible patients.
• Uninsured / Self-Pay: Available for roughly $55 a month through manufacturer affordability programs on NovoCare.

International Pricing (e.g., India)

• Launched as Awiqli at roughly ₹2,611 for a 1 mL pen (700 units), which breaks down to about ₹261 per weekly dose for a standard 70-unit requirement.

The cost of insulin at CVS Pharmacy depends on whether you have insurance, use Medicare, or utilize discount cards and manufacturer programs.

• With Insurance: Most insured patients using a CVS Caremark-managed plan pay an average of less than $25 per month.
• With Medicare: Out-of-pocket copays for covered insulin are legally capped at $35 per month.
• Without Insurance (Full Retail Cash Price): The raw list price can be very high, ranging from $100 to $350+ per vial or carton depending on the insulin type (e.g., generic vs. brand-name analogs like Humalog or Lantus).

Fortunately, you rarely have to pay full retail price. You can use several programs to lower your out-of-pocket costs at the CVS counter:

1. CVS "Reduced Rx" Program ($25)

CVS partnered with Novo Nordisk to offer older, traditional human insulin—specifically Novolin R, Novolin N, and Novolin 70/30—for $25 per 10 mL vial. This discount is designed for cash-paying, uninsured, or underinsured patients. You can request this savings card directly through the CVS Pharmacy Website.

2. Manufacturer Savings Cards ($35 Cap)

The "Big Three" insulin manufacturers offer savings cards that can be processed at CVS to cap your monthly cost at $35, even if you do not have insurance:

• Eli Lilly: The Lilly Insulin Value Program covers brands like Humalog and Basaglar.
• Novo Nordisk: Programs available on NovoCare cover modern analog insulins like NovoLog.
• Sanofi: The Insulins Valyou Savings Program covers Lantus and Toujeo.

3. Pharmacy Discount Coupons

Using third-party discount programs like GoodRx at CVS can significantly cut cash prices down to a fraction of retail:

• Insulin Lispro (Generic Humalog): Approximately $44.30 per vial with a coupon at CVS.
• Insulin Glargine (Generic Lantus): Approximately $112.11 per carton of prefilled pens at CVS.

Summary of Costs at CVS

Note: If you reside in California, you can ask your CVS pharmacist about the state-branded CalRx insulin, which caps costs at $11 per pen ($55 for a 5-pack) or $30 per vial regardless of insurance status.