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NovoLog Assistance Programs & Grants

Assistance information last verified: August 2026

AltaMedicare is an independent Medicare agency in Alpine, Utah, founded by Bret Swope, a licensed Medicare agent. We provide educational, no-pressure help comparing Medicare Advantage, Medigap (Medicare Supplement), and Part D at no cost, serving the entire state of Utah. Call or text (435) 292-5548.

Manufacturer programs, charitable grants and Medicare routes for NovoLog (insulin aspart) — each checked on its official source.

Can I get help paying for NovoLog?

Yes, and Novo Nordisk's program has the most unusual insurance rule in this batch: it requires you to have Medicare or no insurance, and turns commercial insurance into a disqualifier. NovoLog is also the only insulin Medicare has negotiated a price for — $119.00 per 30-day equivalent supply — though the CMS file shows that negotiated price ending after 2026.

  • Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program: NovoLog is on its product list. "Have Medicare or no insurance (Note: If you have private or commercial insurance, you are not eligible for the PAP)" — the reverse of most manufacturer programs.
  • For Medicare patients on Novo Nordisk insulins: household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. Below 150% FPL you must provide proof of denial for Part D Extra Help.
  • Extra Help enrollees are excluded: the program requires you not be enrolled in or qualify for Medicaid, Medicare Low-Income Subsidy or VA benefits, and asks for a copy of your denial if you are eligible for either.
  • Medicare negotiated price: $119.00 per 30-day equivalent supply from January 1, 2026 ($122.22 for 2027) — but every NDC is recorded as deselected with an end date of December 31, 2026. This applies to insulin aspart only and to no other insulin.
  • Biosimilars now exist: Merilog, Kirsty and Garzulys are labelled insulin aspart products, and TotalAssist lists them on the same fund as NovoLog.
  • Charitable grants: TotalAssist's Type 2 diabetes funds both list NovoLog and both were closed ($1,500 guaranteed / $2,000 maximum). HealthWell's Type 2 Diabetes fund was closed. Good Days has no diabetes fund.

3 of the 6 programs we checked for NovoLog were accepting applications when verified in August 2026.

About NovoLog (insulin aspart)

NovoLog is a rapid-acting mealtime insulin — you take it around meals to cover the rise in blood sugar that food causes, rather than for background coverage between meals. It is the only insulin for which Medicare has ever negotiated a price directly with the manufacturer, and understanding what that negotiation did, and when it stops, is the most useful thing on this page.

Approved uses

  • Improving blood sugar control in adults and children with diabetes mellitus, taken around mealtimes

Manufacturer: Novo Nordisk

Why NovoLog can be expensive on Medicare

Mealtime insulin is used several times a day, every day, so the quantities add up faster than for a once-daily background insulin. Two things pull NovoLog's cost down and neither applies to the other insulins on this site. First, Medicare negotiated a maximum fair price of $119.00 per 30-day equivalent supply, in effect through 2026. Second, insulin aspart now has genuine biosimilar competition: DailyMed labels Merilog, Kirsty and Garzulys alongside NovoLog, from ten different labelers in total. Novo Nordisk also sells NovoLog for $35 cash through the federal TrumpRx site.

Medicare coverage context

NovoLog is covered under Medicare Part D or a Medicare Advantage drug plan, and under federal law a covered insulin costs no more than $35 for a month's supply with no deductible applied — a rule that applies to insulins generally; our insulin cost guide covers it across products. What is unique to NovoLog is the negotiation. CMS selected NovoLog, NovoLog FlexPen, NovoLog PenFill, Fiasp, Fiasp FlexTouch and Fiasp PenFill — all insulin aspart products — for initial price applicability year 2026, and set a maximum fair price of $119.00 per 30-day equivalent supply effective January 1, 2026, with $122.22 recorded for January 1, 2027. But the same CMS file records every one of those NDCs as deselected from the negotiation program with an end date of December 31, 2026. So the negotiated price applies for 2026 and then ends. This figure belongs to Novo Nordisk's insulin aspart products and to nothing else: no other insulin — not Tresiba, not Lantus, not Toujeo, not Lyumjev — appears on any CMS selected-drug list for 2026, 2027 or 2028, and this price does not transfer to them.

Check typical Part D coverage · Estimate your drug costs · Compare Part D drug plans

NovoLog assistance options at a glance

Every program we checked, what kind of help it is, whether people with Medicare can use it, and its status when we verified it. A medication being listed by a program is not the same as the program accepting applications.

About the income limits below: Income limits can differ between assistance programs even when both describe their eligibility as the same percentage of the federal poverty level. The dollar limits shown here come from each program's own published income table, and each program decides which year's poverty guidelines that table is built from and when it takes effect. Treat the figures as belonging to the program they are listed under — they are not interchangeable, and only the program can tell you which table it is applying to your application today.

NovoLog assistance programs compared
ProgramType of helpPeople with MedicareStatus (August 2026)
Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program Manufacturer patient assistance with conditions Accepting applications
Medicare negotiated price (Maximum Fair Price) — insulin aspart Government program may apply Open with limits
Cash price via TrumpRx Manufacturer self-pay pricing with conditions Accepting applications
TotalAssist — Type 2 diabetes funds Charitable grant may apply Closed to new applicants
HealthWell Foundation — Type 2 Diabetes fund Charitable grant may apply Closed to new applicants
Good Days — no applicable fund Charitable grant not stated No program found
Medicare Extra Help (Part D Low-Income Subsidy) Government program may apply Accepting applications

Manufacturer programs from Novo Nordisk

A patient assistance program (free or low-cost drug by income) is not the same as a copay card (a commercial discount that usually excludes Medicare). Both are listed so you can see which one applies to you.

Manufacturer patient assistance

Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program

Novo Nordisk

Accepting applications Medicare: with conditions

Status: Accepting applications on August 26, 2026. NovoLog appears on the program's own available-products list (form NNIPAP_11_01012026) in vial, FlexPen and PenFill cartridge forms, along with NovoLog Mix 70/30. Novo Nordisk notes that "Some medicines will no longer be a part of the Patient Assistance Program for 2026", so the list is worth re-reading rather than assuming.

A free-medicine program that is genuinely built for Medicare beneficiaries rather than merely tolerating them — but one that treats Extra Help as a competing benefit you must be turned down for. Approved patients receive up to a 120-day supply, shipped to a licensed healthcare professional for dispensing, through the end of the calendar year.

If you have Medicare: Novo Nordisk runs this program the opposite way round from most manufacturers, and the distinction catches people out. Its rule is: "Have Medicare or no insurance (Note: If you have private or commercial insurance, you are not eligible for the PAP)." Having Medicare is a qualification here, not a barrier. The conditions attached are that your household income must be at or below 400% of the federal poverty level for Medicare patients on Novo Nordisk insulins, and that you must "not be enrolled in or qualify for any other federal, state, or government program such as Medicaid, Medicare Low-Income Subsidy (LIS, or Extra Help Program), or Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits". If you are eligible for Medicaid or Extra Help you must submit a copy of your denial, and Medicare beneficiaries below 150% of the poverty level are specifically required to provide proof of denial for Part D Extra Help. One helpful change: Novo Nordisk states it "no longer require[s] that Medicare Part D patients spend $1000 out of pocket to be eligible for the program".

What it can cover: NovoLog vials, FlexPen and PenFill cartridges, and NovoLog Mix 70/30, at no charge to approved applicants. Up to a 120-day supply per approval.

Who may qualify

  • US citizen or legal resident
  • Have Medicare or no insurance — private or commercial insurance disqualifies you
  • Household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level for Medicare patients on Novo Nordisk insulins
  • Not enrolled in or qualifying for Medicaid, Medicare Low-Income Subsidy (Extra Help) or VA benefits
  • If eligible for Medicaid or Medicare LIS, you must submit a copy of your denial
  • Medicare beneficiaries below 150% of the federal poverty level must provide proof of denial for Part D Extra Help
  • Novo Nordisk publishes no dollar income table itself, directing applicants to the NeedyMeds federal poverty level guidelines

What the application asks for

  • Proof of household income for everyone in your household
  • Your Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage prescription coverage details — the application asks specifically
  • A copy of your Medicaid or Extra Help denial letter, if you are eligible for either
  • Your prescriber's details — you complete Section 1 and your healthcare provider completes Section 2

How to apply

Apply at diabetespap.novocare.com, or call 1-866-310-7549. You complete the patient section and your prescriber completes theirs. There is no registration charge and no monthly fee. If approved, medication is shipped to a licensed healthcare professional for dispensing rather than to your pharmacy.

Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program → 1-866-310-7549

Manufacturer self-pay pricing

Cash price via TrumpRx

U.S. federal government listing of manufacturer cash prices

Accepting applications Medicare: with conditions

Status: NovoLog listed at $35.00 on August 26, 2026, with NovoLog Mix 70/30 also at $35.00.

A published federal cash price, useful as a benchmark and as a fallback if your plan does not cover NovoLog. For most Medicare readers the plan route is at least as cheap and counts toward your cap.

If you have Medicare: A cash price is available to anyone, including Medicare beneficiaries, but buying outside your drug plan means the spending does not count toward your Part D deductible or your $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap. Since a covered insulin under a Medicare drug plan is already capped at $35 a month — the same figure — and that spending does count, the cash route rarely helps a Medicare beneficiary whose plan covers NovoLog. It matters if your plan does not.

What it can cover: NovoLog at the listed cash price, outside insurance.

Who may qualify

  • Paying cash rather than using prescription insurance for that fill

How to apply

Check the current listing and follow the purchase route it gives. Compare against your plan's insulin cost-sharing first.

TrumpRx →

Charitable grants for NovoLog

TotalAssist lists NovoLog in all its forms on the Type 2 diabetes fund and its health-equity version, each paying $1,500 guaranteed up to $2,000, and both were closed on August 26, 2026. HealthWell's Type 2 Diabetes fund was closed too, and Good Days runs no diabetes fund at all. As with every insulin on this site, these are type 2 funds — and NovoLog is a mealtime insulin widely used in type 1 diabetes, so a substantial share of the people reading this page have no charitable route on these three foundations. The useful consequence is that the routes that do not depend on a fund balance matter more here: the Novo Nordisk program, which is unusual in requiring Medicare rather than excluding it; the biosimilars, which the funds treat identically to the brand; and your plan's $35 insulin cost-sharing.

Charitable grant

TotalAssist — Type 2 diabetes funds

Patient Advocate Foundation · Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) · Type 2 diabetes health equity

Closed to new applicants Medicare: may apply

Status: Both funds were closed to new applicants on August 26, 2026, each with a $1,500 guaranteed and $2,000 maximum award.

NovoLog, NovoLog FlexPen, NovoLog PenFill and NovoLog Mix 70/30 are all named on the Type 2 diabetes approved-medication list, as are the unbranded insulin aspart and the biosimilars Merilog and Kirsty — so a switch to a biosimilar would not cost you fund eligibility. Both funds were closed, and both are type 2 funds only.

If you have Medicare: These funds require government-insured coverage — Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE — that covers your qualifying expenses. Medicare beneficiaries are eligible when a fund is open. Note that these funds do NOT exclude Extra Help enrollees, unlike the Novo Nordisk program — so the two are worth pursuing in parallel rather than treating as alternatives.

What it can cover: When open: $1,500 guaranteed award and up to $2,000 maximum for medication copays, coinsurance, deductibles and health-insurance premiums. One grant per condition.

Who may qualify

  • Confirmed type 2 diabetes diagnosis, in treatment, starting within 60 days, or treated in the past 6 months
  • Government-insured coverage (Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE) that covers your qualifying expenses
  • Household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty level, adjusted for your regional cost-of-living index
  • Confirmed diagnosis matching the fund, and in treatment (or starting within 60 days, or treated in the past 6 months)
  • Legal U.S. resident receiving treatment in the U.S. or a U.S. territory
  • The health-equity fund additionally requires a home zip code in a designated social-vulnerability county

What the application asks for

  • Contact information and Social Security number (or alien number)
  • Annual household income (for pre-screening; proof of income due within 30 days of approval)
  • Health insurance carrier, plan type, policy ID and group number; Medicare supplement or secondary insurance if you have one
  • Copay or coinsurance amounts
  • Your provider's name and contact information, diagnosis (exact date if within 6 months), prescribed medications and treatment plan

How to apply

Sign up for fund notifications (text, email or automated call) at totalassist.org/notify. When a fund opens: You (the patient) apply online — it takes about 15 minutes and you learn immediately whether you are approved — or call 866-512-3861, Monday–Friday 8:30am–5:30pm ET. Patient Advocate Foundation verifies your diagnosis and treatment plan directly with your provider and verifies income automatically; you have 30 days after approval to provide proof of income.

Get notified when a TotalAssist fund opens → 866-512-3861

Charitable grant

HealthWell Foundation — Type 2 Diabetes fund

HealthWell Foundation · Type 2 Diabetes

Closed to new applicants Medicare: may apply

Status: Closed on August 26, 2026. HealthWell runs no Type 1 Diabetes fund and no insulin-specific fund.

One applicable fund, closed. Worth flagging for a mealtime insulin in particular: NovoLog is widely used in type 1 diabetes, and none of the three foundations on this page runs a type 1 fund.

If you have Medicare: HealthWell accepts Medicare beneficiaries for the diseases it covers. Its Type 2 Diabetes fund was closed when we checked.

What it can cover: When open: copays, coinsurance, deductibles and health-insurance premiums for type 2 diabetes.

Who may qualify

  • A confirmed type 2 diabetes diagnosis, verified by your prescriber
  • Some form of health insurance (Medicare qualifies) that covers part of the cost of the drug — discount cards do not count
  • Social Security number (used to prevent duplicate applications)
  • Diagnosis verified by a physician's, nurse practitioner's or physician assistant's signature
  • Treatment in the United States

What the application asks for

  • Some form of health insurance (Medicare qualifies) that covers part of the cost of the drug — discount cards do not count
  • Social Security number (used to prevent duplicate applications)
  • Diagnosis verified by a physician's, nurse practitioner's or physician assistant's signature
  • Treatment in the United States

How to apply

When a fund is open, apply online or by phone; your provider verifies the diagnosis by signature. When a fund is closed, sign up for that fund's real-time alerts — HealthWell says replenished funds reopen "as quickly as possible."

HealthWell disease funds and alerts → (800) 675-8416

Charitable grant

Good Days — no applicable fund

Good Days

No program found Medicare: not stated

Status: Good Days' published disease list on August 26, 2026 contained 57 programs and none of them was diabetes.

An honest negative, checked so you do not spend time on a third foundation that has no fund for you.

If you have Medicare: Good Days accepts Medicare beneficiaries for the diseases it covers, but it covers no diagnosis that applies to NovoLog.

How to apply

Not applicable today. The diseases-covered page shows every fund Good Days runs.

Good Days diseases covered →

Other government routes

Medicare and state programs that lower prescription costs for people with limited income and resources.

Government program

Medicare negotiated price (Maximum Fair Price) — insulin aspart

CMS / Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program

Open with limits Medicare: may apply

Status: In effect for 2026 and then ending. CMS set a maximum fair price of $119.00 per 30-day equivalent supply for Novo Nordisk's insulin aspart products effective January 1, 2026, with an inflation-adjusted $122.22 recorded for January 1, 2027 — but every NDC in the file also carries a "Deselect" update with the remark "NDC deselected from negotiation program with end date of 12/31/2026", recorded as of April 20, 2026.

The only Medicare-negotiated insulin price that exists. Worth knowing both halves: the price took effect in 2026, and CMS's own file records the products as deselected from the program with effect from the end of 2026. Ask your plan what it charges you rather than assuming the negotiated figure is your cost — under the insulin cost-sharing rules a covered insulin is capped at $35 a month anyway, which is lower.

If you have Medicare: This applies to people whose Part D plans cover NovoLog, Fiasp and the related insulin aspart presentations. A negotiated price is not a pharmacy cash price: it lowers what plans and enrollees pay, not what someone paying out of pocket is charged. And it is specific to these products. No other insulin on this site — Tresiba, Lantus, Toujeo or Lyumjev — appears on any CMS selected-drug list for 2026, 2027 or 2028, so this $119.00 figure does not describe them and should not be quoted for them.

What it can cover: The price Part D plans pay for Novo Nordisk insulin aspart products during 2026.

Who may qualify

  • Enrolled in a Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage drug plan that covers the product
  • Applies to Novo Nordisk insulin aspart products only — NovoLog, NovoLog FlexPen, NovoLog PenFill, Fiasp, Fiasp FlexTouch and Fiasp PenFill

How to apply

Nothing to apply for. The negotiated price applies automatically through your Part D plan. What you actually pay is your plan's cost-sharing, which for a covered insulin is capped at $35 a month.

CMS selected drugs and negotiated prices →

How to apply for NovoLog assistance

  1. Step 1 — Find the applicable assistance program

    For NovoLog on Medicare in August 2026, the first question is whether you qualify for Extra Help, because it decides which door is open:

    • Apply for Medicare Extra Help first. If you get it, use it — and note that the Novo Nordisk program is then closed to you.
    • If Extra Help turns you down, keep the denial letter: Novo Nordisk requires it, and it is the key to their program.
    • Income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level and no commercial insurance → apply to the Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program.
    • Check what your plan charges. A covered insulin is capped at $35 a month under a Medicare drug plan, with no deductible.
    • Ask your prescriber and plan about the insulin aspart biosimilars — Merilog, Kirsty and Garzulys.
    • Type 2 diabetes → set alerts on the TotalAssist and HealthWell diabetes funds (all closed when checked).

  2. Step 2 — Check whether applications are currently open

    The manufacturer program was open; the charitable funds were closed; the negotiated price has an end date.

    • Novo Nordisk PAP: open, and its product list is published as a PDF — worth re-reading, since Novo Nordisk warns that some medicines left the program for 2026.
    • CMS negotiated price: in effect for 2026, with the insulin aspart NDCs recorded as deselected from December 31, 2026.
    • TotalAssist: the Type 2 diabetes fund pages show "Open" or "Closed" and current award amounts.
    • HealthWell: the disease-funds list shows the Type 2 Diabetes fund and its status.

  3. Step 3 — Check eligibility

    Novo Nordisk's insurance rule is the reverse of what most people expect:

    • Novo Nordisk PAP: you must have Medicare or no insurance. Private or commercial insurance disqualifies you.
    • Income at or below 400% of the federal poverty level for Medicare patients on Novo Nordisk insulins. Novo Nordisk publishes no dollar table and points to the NeedyMeds poverty guidelines.
    • You must not be enrolled in or qualify for Medicaid, Extra Help or VA benefits — and must supply a denial letter if you are eligible for Medicaid or Extra Help.
    • Below 150% of the federal poverty level, proof of denial for Part D Extra Help is specifically required.
    • TotalAssist (when open): government insurance covering NovoLog; income at or below 500% FPL adjusted for your regional cost-of-living index; a confirmed type 2 diabetes diagnosis.
    • HealthWell (when open): insurance that covers part of the drug's cost, a prescriber-verified type 2 diabetes diagnosis, and treatment in the United States.

  4. Step 4 — Gather your information

    One document here is unusual and worth getting first:

    • Your Extra Help denial letter, if you have one. Novo Nordisk requires it if you are eligible for Extra Help or Medicaid, and below 150% of the poverty level it is mandatory.
    • Proof of household income for everyone in the household.
    • Medicare card and your Part D or Medicare Advantage drug-plan card — the application asks specifically about Medicare Rx coverage.
    • Your NovoLog form and daily dose — vial, FlexPen or PenFill cartridge, and units per day.
    • Your prescriber's details, since they complete their own section of the application.

  5. Step 5 — Complete the application

    Who fills out what:

    • Novo Nordisk PAP: you complete Section 1; your healthcare provider completes Section 2. Apply at diabetespap.novocare.com or call 1-866-310-7549. It is free — there is no registration charge and no monthly fee.
    • Extra Help: you (or someone helping you) apply free through Social Security — online, by phone on 1-800-772-1213, or at an office. There is never a fee.
    • TotalAssist (when open): you apply online in about 15 minutes or by phone on 866-512-3861.
    • Biosimilar switch: nothing to apply for — a prescribing and formulary question.

  6. Step 6 — Submit and wait for a determination

    What to expect:

    • Novo Nordisk PAP: approved patients receive up to a 120-day supply, shipped to a licensed healthcare professional for dispensing rather than to your pharmacy, through the end of the calendar year.
    • Extra Help: Social Security notifies you by mail; your Part D plan then applies the lower copays.
    • TotalAssist (when open): an immediate online decision, with proof of income due within 30 days of approval.

  7. Step 7 — If the program is closed or you don't qualify

    NovoLog has more genuine alternatives than most insulins:

    • Ask about the biosimilars. Merilog, Kirsty and Garzulys are labelled insulin aspart products, and TotalAssist lists them on the same fund as NovoLog. Note that Merilog is a Sanofi product, so its own assistance runs through Sanofi Patient Connection rather than Novo Nordisk.
    • Confirm your plan's insulin cost-sharing. A covered insulin is capped at $35 a month with no deductible, and unlike a cash purchase that spending counts toward your $2,100 out-of-pocket cap.
    • Do not plan around the negotiated price beyond 2026 — CMS's file records the insulin aspart NDCs as deselected from December 31, 2026.
    • Apply for Extra Help even if you assume you earn too much; the limits are higher than most people expect, and it outperforms the manufacturer program for most people.
    • Use the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan to spread this year's out-of-pocket costs across monthly payments.
    • Call AltaMedicare — we will work through every route above with you, free.

What you'll need

Only items the programs above actually ask for. Gather these before you start.

  • Medicare card and your Part D or Medicare Advantage drug-plan card — plan name, member ID and group number
  • Prescription details — medication name, strength and dose; prescriber name, office phone and address
  • Diagnosis and date of diagnosis — TotalAssist needs the exact date if diagnosed within the past 6 months
  • Household size and annual household income — and proof — tax return, Social Security or pension statements, or pay stubs
  • Your Medicare Extra Help denial letter, if you have one — Novo Nordisk requires it if you are eligible for Extra Help or Medicaid, and mandatorily below 150% of the federal poverty level
  • Your NovoLog form and daily dose — vial, FlexPen or PenFill cartridge, and units per day
  • Your diabetes type — the TotalAssist and HealthWell funds cover type 2 only, and NovoLog is widely used in type 1

If assistance is unavailable

A closed fund or a denial is not the end of the road. Check these next:

  1. Ask your prescriber and plan about the insulin aspart biosimilars — Merilog, Kirsty and Garzulys are all labelled, and the charitable funds list them alongside NovoLog.
  2. Confirm your plan's insulin cost-sharing before paying cash. A covered insulin is capped at $35 a month under a Medicare drug plan, and that spending counts toward your out-of-pocket cap while cash spending does not. Insulin costs on Medicare
  3. Sign up for TotalAssist fund notifications so you hear the moment a NovoLog fund reopens — there is no waitlist or queue, so speed matters. TotalAssist notifications
  4. Sign up for HealthWell fund alerts for the same reason; HealthWell says closed funds reopen as funding is replenished. HealthWell disease funds
  5. Check Medicare Extra Help — it does not depend on a fund balance and lowers the cost of every covered drug, not just this one. Medicare Extra Help explained
  6. Ask your doctor's office — many practices have staff who handle assistance applications routinely and can request a formulary exception or a lower-cost alternative.
  7. Use the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan to spread this year's out-of-pocket costs across monthly payments (it does not lower the total). Medicare.gov
  8. Compare Part D and Medicare Advantage drug plans during the fall enrollment period — the tier and cost-sharing for NovoLog differ from plan to plan. Compare Part D plan options

Could Medicare Extra Help reduce your NovoLog costs?

Extra Help is not a grant for NovoLog. It is a Medicare program that lowers what qualifying beneficiaries pay for their Part D premium, deductible and every covered prescription — so it is worth checking even when a charitable fund is closed, because it does not depend on fund balances.

For NovoLog, Extra Help and the manufacturer program are in direct tension, and you should know which you are choosing. Novo Nordisk requires that you "not be enrolled in or qualify for" Medicare Extra Help, and Medicare beneficiaries below 150% of the federal poverty level must supply proof that Extra Help turned them down. So you cannot hold both. In most cases Extra Help is the stronger option: it lowers cost-sharing on every covered drug you take rather than one, it does not require annual re-approval by a manufacturer, and it cannot be withdrawn when a program's rules change. Apply for Extra Help first and treat the Novo Nordisk program as the route for people it turns down — which is precisely the sequence Novo Nordisk's own denial-letter requirement implies.

In 2026, people with full Extra Help generally pay no more than $12.65 for a covered brand-name drug. Income must be below about $23,940 a year for one person ($32,460 for a couple) and countable resources under $18,090 ($36,100 for a couple). Apply free through Social Security — online, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or in person — and never pay anyone to apply for you.

Extra Help explained · Medicare Savings Programs · Estimate your drug costs · Free prescription cost review

Government program

Medicare Extra Help (Part D Low-Income Subsidy)

Medicare / Social Security Administration

Accepting applications Medicare: may apply

Status: Year-round federal program (figures for 2026)

Not a grant for one drug — a Medicare program that lowers what qualifying beneficiaries pay for their Part D premium, deductible and every covered prescription.

If you have Medicare: For people with Medicare Part D or a Medicare Advantage drug plan who have limited income and resources.

What it can cover: Part D premium and deductible (often to $0) and reduced copays — generally no more than $12.65 for a covered brand-name drug in 2026 with full Extra Help.

Who may qualify

  • Income below 150% of the federal poverty level — about $23,940 a year for one person or $32,460 for a married couple in 2026.
  • Countable resources (savings, investments — not your home or car) limited to $18,090 for an individual or $36,100 for a married couple living together in 2026 (Medicare.gov figures, which include a burial-expense allowance).
  • Automatic if you have Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or a Medicare Savings Program.

What the application asks for

  • Social Security number and Medicare number
  • Income (Social Security, pensions, wages) for you and a spouse you live with
  • Value of savings, investments and other countable resources

How to apply

You (or someone helping you) apply free through Social Security — online, by phone, or at a Social Security office. There is never a fee to apply.

Apply for Extra Help at SSA.gov → 1-800-772-1213

Key terms on this page

Patient assistance program (PAP)
A manufacturer program that provides its medication free or at low cost to people who meet income and insurance rules. Many PAPs accept Medicare Part D enrollees; each sets its own criteria.
Copay card / savings card
A manufacturer discount for commercially insured patients. Federal anti-kickback rules mean these cards generally cannot be used with Medicare, Medicaid or other government insurance.
Charitable copay grant
Money from a nonprofit foundation (for example HealthWell or Patient Advocate Foundation) that pays eligible copays or coinsurance for a specific diagnosis. A drug can be listed while the fund is closed to new applicants.
Federal poverty level (FPL)
A federal income measure that assistance programs use as a yardstick — "300% of FPL", "500% of FPL". The percentage is a rule, but the dollar figure behind it comes from a table each program publishes itself, built on a chosen year of the HHS poverty guidelines. Two programs can quote the same percentage in the same year and still list different dollar limits; compare each program against its own table, not against another program.
Medicare Extra Help
The Part D Low-Income Subsidy: a Medicare program that lowers or eliminates Part D premiums, deductibles and copays for beneficiaries with limited income and resources. You apply through Social Security.
Maximum Fair Price (MFP)
The price Medicare negotiated for a selected drug under the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. It applies to Part D plans, not to the pharmacy cash price, and it lowers what plans and enrollees pay for that drug.

Related medication assistance guides

Tresiba Assistance & Grants insulin degludec Lyumjev Assistance & Grants insulin lispro-aabc Lantus Assistance & Grants insulin glargine Toujeo Assistance & Grants insulin glargine 300 units/mL All prescription assistance Directory & program finder
Common Questions

NovoLog assistance FAQ

Does Medicare cover NovoLog?
Yes — Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage drug plans cover NovoLog, and under federal law a covered insulin costs no more than $35 for a month's supply with no deductible applied. Our insulin cost guide explains how that works across products. NovoLog is also the only insulin for which Medicare has negotiated a price directly with the manufacturer.
What is the Medicare negotiated price for NovoLog, and does it still apply?
CMS set a maximum fair price of $119.00 per 30-day equivalent supply for Novo Nordisk's insulin aspart products — NovoLog, NovoLog FlexPen, NovoLog PenFill, Fiasp, Fiasp FlexTouch and Fiasp PenFill — effective January 1, 2026, with an inflation-adjusted $122.22 recorded for January 1, 2027. But the same CMS data file records every one of those NDCs as deselected from the negotiation program with an end date of December 31, 2026. So the negotiated price applies during 2026 and then ends. In practice what you pay is your plan's cost-sharing, and for a covered insulin that is capped at $35 a month, which is lower than the negotiated price.
Does the NovoLog negotiated price apply to my other insulin?
No, and this is worth being firm about. The $119.00 maximum fair price applies to Novo Nordisk's insulin aspart products and to nothing else. Tresiba (insulin degludec) is made by the same company and is not on any CMS selected-drug list. Neither is Lantus or Toujeo (Sanofi's insulin glargine), nor Lyumjev (Lilly's insulin lispro-aabc). NovoLog and Fiasp are the only insulins CMS has ever selected, for 2026, 2027 or 2028.
Is there a NovoLog patient assistance program for people on Medicare?
Yes, and it is built the opposite way round from most. Novo Nordisk's rule is: "Have Medicare or no insurance (Note: If you have private or commercial insurance, you are not eligible for the PAP)." Having Medicare qualifies you rather than disqualifying you. For Medicare patients on Novo Nordisk insulins, household income must be at or below 400% of the federal poverty level. The significant catch is Extra Help: you must not be enrolled in or qualify for it, and if you are eligible you must supply a copy of your denial. Approved patients get up to a 120-day supply, shipped to a licensed healthcare professional.
Can I have both Extra Help and the Novo Nordisk program?
No. Novo Nordisk requires that you "not be enrolled in or qualify for any other federal, state, or government program such as Medicaid, Medicare Low-Income Subsidy (LIS, or Extra Help Program), or Veterans Affairs (VA) Benefits", and beneficiaries below 150% of the federal poverty level must provide proof that Extra Help denied them. For most people Extra Help is the better of the two — it applies to every covered drug you take, not just your insulin. Apply for Extra Help first and treat the manufacturer program as the fallback if you are turned down.
Is there a biosimilar for NovoLog?
Yes, several. DailyMed lists 20 labelled insulin aspart products across ten labelers, including Merilog (insulin aspart-szjj), Kirsty (insulin aspart-xjhz) and Garzulys alongside Novo Nordisk's NovoLog and Fiasp, plus an unbranded insulin aspart. TotalAssist lists Merilog and Kirsty on the same Type 2 diabetes fund as NovoLog, so switching would not cost you fund eligibility. One thing to note: Merilog is a Sanofi product, so if you switch to it your manufacturer assistance route changes companies too. See all prescription assistance options.

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Assistance information last verified August 2026. Program details — fund status, eligibility, prices, phone numbers — change often; confirm with each program before applying. AltaMedicare does not administer, fund or approve any assistance program. Not medical advice.

Having trouble figuring out your prescription costs?

Bret can help you understand your Medicare prescription coverage and where to look for NovoLog assistance — free, no pressure. We don't award grants or decide eligibility; the programs above do. We help you find and apply to the right ones.

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