Eli Lilly and Company today announced plans to add two more cost-saving options to its suite of solutions for people who use Lilly insulin by introducing lower-priced versions of Humalog Mix75/25 KwikPen (insulin lispro protamine and insulin lispro injectable suspension 100 units/mL) and Humalog Junior KwikPen (insulin lispro injection 100 units/mL). Both insulins will have 50 percent lower list prices compared to the branded versions and will be available by mid-April.
“The cost of insulin at the pharmacy varies dramatically depending on a person’s insurance coverage,” said Mike Mason, president of Lilly Diabetes. “These lower-priced insulins may reduce out-of-pocket costs, especially for people in the coverage gap of Medicare Part D, the uninsured or those with high-deductible insurance plans.”
“We applaud the efforts of Lilly to expand the lower priced options for those currently facing list prices. This will benefit the uninsured and significantly underinsured. These products are not likely to be picked up by mainstream insurance plans as there is not enough money for the rebate programs required by Pharmacy Benefit Managers for access to those formularies, but people needing insulin who are forced to pay full list price by their insurance plans now have more options to get their life sustaining medications,” said CWD Board member, George Huntley.
Anyone who uses a Lilly insulin can call the Lilly Diabetes Solution Center at (833) 808-1234 (9 am to 8 pm EST Monday through Friday) to see whether there is an option that reduces their out-of-pocket costs. Staffed by health care professionals, the Solution Center may provide significant savings on Lilly insulins in multiple ways, including out-of-pocket caps on what people with commercial plans pay at the pharmacy and information about how to access donated Lilly insulin at more than 150 free clinics across the country. In 2019, Lilly’s solutions helped up to 20,000 people with diabetes each month reduce their out-of-pocket costs for insulin.
