$35 Insulin Programs: Who Qualifies for Each One
Each of the three big insulin makers runs a program that sells its insulin for about $35 a month and another that gives it free to lower-income patients. Which one you can use depends mostly on your coverage, not your income.
By mendmeds · Published · 5 min read
The short version
- As of November 2026, mendmeds tracks 6 brand-name insulins from 3 makers, and every one has a maker program that quotes a $35 monthly price for at least some patients.
- None of the makers’ cash programs we track has an income limit; who can use them depends on insurance status instead.
- For free insulin, all 6 maker patient assistance programs cap household income at 400% of the poverty level ($63,840 for one person in 2026) and accept Medicare Part D, but none accept private insurance.
- On Medicare, a one-month supply of each covered insulin costs no more than $35, with no deductible, whichever insulin it is.
Two kinds of help from each maker
Eli Lilly and Company, Novo Nordisk and Sanofi each run two different things. One is a set monthly price: a cash program for people without insurance, or a copay card for people with private insurance. The other is patient assistance: free insulin for people whose household income is under a limit. They have different rules, so it is worth knowing which one you are looking at.
If you have no insurance
Every maker has a cash program for people without insurance. None of them has an income limit in our data, so the only question is your coverage. Most work at the pharmacy: you show the program’s card or coupon and pay its price.
| Insulin | Program | What you pay, as the maker states it | For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basaglar | Lilly Insulin Value Program - Basaglar | $35 for a 1-month prescription fill | No insurance or private insurance |
| Humalog | Lilly Insulin Value Program ($35 cap, Humalog/Basaglar/Lispro) | no more than $35 per monthly prescription | No insurance or private insurance |
| Lantus | Insulins Valyou Savings Program ($35 cap) | $35 per 30-day supply (regardless of income) | No insurance or private insurance, paying cash |
| Lantus | Lantus Co-pay Card ($35 cap) | no more than $35 per 30-day supply (commercial) | Private insurance |
| NovoLog | NovoCare My$99Insulin / Savings Card | as little as $35 per 30-day supply (max savings $65 per 30-day supply) or no more than $99 per prescription | Private insurance |
| Toujeo | Toujeo Co-pay Card ($35 cap, commercial) | no more than $35 per 30-day supply, up to 10 packs per fill | Private insurance |
| Toujeo | Insulins Valyou Savings Program - Toujeo (uninsured) | $35 for a 30-day supply (any single or combination of Sanofi insulins) | No insurance |
| Tresiba | Tresiba Savings Card (NovoCare) | as little as $35 and no more than $99 per prescription; includes 1 free pack of needles | Private insurance |
| Tresiba | NovoCare MyInsulinRx™ Cash Program - Tresiba | as little as $35 for monthly supply of any combination of Novo Nordisk covered insulin products | No insurance |
Prices are per prescription or per 30-day supply, as each program words it. Your insulin’s page links the maker’s own terms and the date we checked them.
Two of the cash programs, Novo Nordisk’s and Sanofi’s, quote one price for any combination of that maker’s insulins, which matters if you use both a long-acting and a mealtime insulin from the same company.
If you have private insurance
Copay cards bring the pharmacy price down for Lantus, NovoLog, Toujeo and Tresiba. Lilly takes a different route: people with private insurance can use its cash program directly for Basaglar and Humalog.
Read the card’s wording. Some cap what you pay at $35. Others say “as little as $35” and set a higher ceiling, so your price depends on your plan.
If your plan runs a copay accumulator, the card’s payments may not count toward your deductible. Copay accumulators and maximizers explains how to tell.
If you are on Medicare
Medicare caps insulin on its own. A one-month supply of each insulin covered by Part D, or by Part B for insulin used in a traditional pump, costs no more than $35, and the deductible does not apply. The cap applies to everyone who takes insulin, including people with Extra Help.
The makers’ cash programs and copay cards are not an option on Medicare: none of the ones we track accepts it. Their patient assistance programs are different, and are covered next.
Free insulin through patient assistance
| Insulin | Program | Household income limit | Medicare Part D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basaglar | Lilly Cares Foundation - Basaglar PAP | 400% of the poverty level | Accepted |
| Humalog | Lilly Cares Foundation - Humalog PAP | 400% of the poverty level | Accepted |
| Lantus | Sanofi Patient Connection - Lantus PAP | 400% of the poverty level | Accepted |
| NovoLog | Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program - NovoLog | 400% of the poverty level | Accepted |
| Toujeo | Sanofi Patient Connection - Toujeo PAP | 400% of the poverty level | Accepted |
| Tresiba | Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program - Tresiba | 400% of the poverty level | Accepted |
400% of the poverty level is $63,840 a year for one person and $132,000 for a family of four in 2026. The poverty-level table has the figure for every household size.
None of these programs accepts people with private insurance. For people on Medicare whose income is under the limit, free insulin beats a $35 copay, especially with more than one insulin. What patient assistance applications ask for covers the paperwork.
Which one to try first
- No insurance, income under the limit: apply to the maker’s patient assistance program for free insulin.
- No insurance, income over the limit: use the maker’s cash program.
- Private insurance: use the copay card, or Lilly’s cash program for Lilly insulins.
- Medicare: the $35 cap applies on its own. If your income is under the limit, the maker’s patient assistance program can cut that to nothing, and Extra Help lowers the rest of your drug costs.
For glucose monitors and pumps, which follow different rules, see CGM and diabetes device costs.
Common questions
Can I get insulin for $35 without insurance?
Yes. Each of the three makers runs a cash program at about $35 a month for people without insurance, and none of the ones we track has an income limit. The table in this article lists them by insulin.
Is insulin capped at $35 a month on Medicare?
Yes. A one-month supply of each insulin covered by Part D, or by Part B for a traditional pump, costs no more than $35, and the deductible does not apply.
How can I get insulin for free?
Through the maker’s patient assistance program, if your household income is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level and you have no insurance or have Medicare Part D. That is $63,840 a year for one person in 2026.
Can I use an insulin copay card with Medicare?
No. Copay cards are for private insurance only. On Medicare the $35 cap does that job, and copay card vs patient assistance explains which kind of help fits which coverage.
Want the numbers for your own prescription? Pick your drug and see which programs it offers, what each one requires, and the source we checked.
Keep reading
This article is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Program rules change, so check the program’s own page before you apply.