Yes, there is significant financial help available for people with diabetes, ranging from federal programs and state laws that cap insulin costs to manufacturer discount programs and nonprofit grants. The challenge is that these resources are scattered across dozens of organizations, so many people never find them. Here’s a practical breakdown of what’s available and how to access it.
Insulin Price Caps From Manufacturers
The three major insulin manufacturers all offer programs that dramatically reduce out-of-pocket costs, and none of them require you to jump through excessive hoops.
The Lilly Insulin Value Program makes all Lilly insulins available for $35 a month, whether you have commercial insurance or no insurance at all. The Novo Nordisk My $99 Insulin program provides up to three vials or two packs of pens (any combination of their insulins) for $99 with a prescription. Sanofi’s Insulins Valyou Savings Program offers uninsured patients access to their insulins (Lantus, Toujeo, Admelog, and Apidra) for a fixed $99 per month for up to 10 boxes of pens or vials, regardless of income level.
These programs are worth checking even if you think you won’t qualify. Lilly’s program in particular has no income requirement and applies to both insured and uninsured patients.
State Laws That Cap Your Insulin Copay
More than 25 states plus the District of Columbia have passed laws capping what you pay for insulin each month. The caps vary widely by state, so your location matters a lot. New York has eliminated cost-sharing entirely, setting the cap at $0. Several states, including Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Dakota, and Texas, cap costs at $25 for a 30-day supply. States like Illinois, California, Maine, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, and Washington set their cap at $35.
Other states fall in a range: Kentucky, Maryland, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Utah cap at $30. Louisiana sets its cap at $75. Alabama, Colorado, Delaware, and Vermont cap at $100 for a 30-day supply. Some states go further than insulin alone. Connecticut caps diabetes devices and supplies at $100 per month. Delaware eliminates costs for insulin pumps entirely and caps other diabetes equipment at $35 per month.
These caps typically apply to state-regulated health plans, which means they cover most employer plans and individual marketplace plans but may not apply to self-funded employer plans (common at large companies). Check with your insurer to confirm your plan is covered by your state’s law.
Medicare and Federal Insurance Protections
If you’re on Medicare, Part B covers diabetes supplies like glucose monitors, test strips, lancets, insulin pumps, and the insulin used with those pumps. Medicare Part D covers insulin prescriptions with a $35 monthly cap per covered insulin. The Inflation Reduction Act locked in that $35 cap for Medicare enrollees starting in 2023.
Under the Affordable Care Act, private insurance plans must cover preventive services including diabetes screenings, blood pressure tests, and cholesterol tests at no cost to you. Marketplace plans also cover diabetes self-management training and supplies as part of their essential health benefits, though cost-sharing details vary by plan.
Nonprofit Grants for Copays and Medications
The HealthWell Foundation offers copay assistance for people with Type 2 diabetes, providing grants up to $1,000 to cover prescription drug copayments, coinsurance, and deductibles. The assistance comes as a pharmacy card, and patients typically use around $750 during their 12-month grant period. Funding opens and closes periodically, so you may need to check back if the fund is temporarily closed.
NeedyMeds.org maintains a searchable database of programs that help pay for medicines and supplies. You can look up assistance by specific medication name or manufacturer. The site aggregates hundreds of patient assistance programs in one place, making it one of the most useful starting points if you’re not sure where to begin.
Help With Glucose Monitors and CGMs
Continuous glucose monitors have become a major expense for many people with diabetes, but several assistance programs exist. Dexcom runs a patient assistance program through assistance.dexcom.com. Abbott, which makes FreeStyle Libre sensors, offers a similar program reachable at 855-632-8658, and they specifically encourage patients to call before picking up sensors if their copay will exceed $75. Medtronic offers both a CGM access discount program and a broader assistance program called Medtronic Assurance. Most commercially insured patients end up paying between $0 and $60 per month for CGMs when covered by insurance.
Discount coupons from GoodRx and SingleCare can also reduce costs for Dexcom G6, Dexcom G7, FreeStyle Libre 2, and FreeStyle Libre 3 sensors. Warehouse pharmacies at Costco and Sam’s Club often have the lowest base prices and may offer additional member discounts. Their pharmacies are usually accessible even to non-members.
If you’ve never used a CGM and want to try one before committing, Abbott offers a free 14-day FreeStyle Libre 2 sensor through their MyFreeStyle program, and Medtronic has a 30-day trial for their Guardian Connect system.
Community Health Centers With Sliding Fee Scales
Federally Qualified Health Centers (FQHCs) are required by law to see patients regardless of ability to pay. These clinics use a sliding fee scale tied to your income: if your household income falls at or below the federal poverty level, you receive a full discount on services, meaning you pay nothing or only a nominal fee. Partial discounts apply if your income is between 100% and 200% of the poverty level, with at least three discount tiers in that range. Above 200% of the poverty level, you pay full price.
There are thousands of these health centers across the country, and they provide primary care, lab work, and prescription assistance. You can find one near you through the HRSA website’s health center finder tool. For someone without insurance managing diabetes, these centers can be a lifeline for routine checkups, blood work, and prescription access at a fraction of normal cost.
Disability Benefits for Severe Complications
Diabetes alone doesn’t automatically qualify you for Social Security disability benefits, but complications from diabetes can. The Social Security Administration evaluates diabetes-related impairments based on how they affect specific body systems. Peripheral nerve damage that leads to amputation is evaluated under musculoskeletal criteria. Diabetic eye disease falls under vision impairment standards. Kidney damage from diabetes is assessed under the kidney disorder listings. Severe low blood sugar episodes that cause seizures or loss of consciousness are evaluated under neurological criteria, and cognitive problems or depression linked to diabetes are reviewed under mental health listings.
The key is that your application needs to focus on the specific complications and how they limit your ability to work, not simply on having a diabetes diagnosis. If diabetes has significantly affected your vision, mobility, kidney function, or mental health, those complications may individually or collectively meet the threshold for benefits.
Where to Start
If you’re feeling overwhelmed, the most efficient first steps depend on your situation. If you’re uninsured, start with manufacturer programs (Lilly’s $35 program requires no income verification) and locate your nearest community health center. If you’re insured but struggling with copays, check whether your state has an insulin cap law, then look into the HealthWell Foundation or NeedyMeds for additional copay relief. If you’re on Medicare, confirm that your Part D plan is applying the $35 insulin cap correctly and that Part B is covering your supplies. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) also maintains a financial help page specifically for diabetes care that links to many of these programs in one place.