Pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk Inc who manufactures insulin said it would offer free doses for 90 days to diabetes patients who lost coverage because they lost their job as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
“The pandemic is taking a serious toll on the nation’s health and economy. Millions of people are losing jobs and health coverage, and that’s especially tragic if you have a chronic disease like diabetes. We already have a lot of programs to help people afford insulin, but the impact of COVID-19 goes beyond that. We know people need more help right now, and we want to do something that could make an immediate difference. We also want to dial-up our efforts to make people aware of the help that is available,” said Doug Langa, Executive Vice President, North America Operations, and President of Novo Nordisk Inc.
Through this enhancement, applicants are not required to provide documented proof of income. Participants must, however, provide documentation showing loss of healthcare benefits, such as a job termination notice or job status change, or proof that COBRA benefits are being offered.
Also, if Medicaid benefits are denied, assistance for eligible patients can be extended past the 90-day-window until the end of the year. People applying for this program must have a valid prescription for a Novo Nordisk insulin and meet specific eligibility criteria, which can be found on NovoCare.com or by calling 1.844.NOVO4ME (668.6463).
“Patients have enough issues to worry about at this moment. We don’t want being able to pay for their insulin to be one of them,” Langa added.
Novo Nordisk is the latest insulin manufacturer to step in during the pandemic to help those in need. Earlier this month, CNN reported that Eli Lilly announced that they would allow anyone with commercial health insurance or without health insurance to refill their insulin prescriptions for a $35 co-pay.
