Type 2 Diabetes Care: Medication Patient Assistance Programs
Updated: 11/13/26
Patient Assistance Program (PAP) Guide for Patients who are Uninsured or with Medicare Part D
Your patient may qualify for free diabetes medication, as part of each drug manufacturer’s patient assistance program (PAP). This guide is intended for use by patients and their healthcare providers and covers manufacturer PAPs like BI Cares for Jardiance, Lilly Cares for Trulicity, and NovoCare for Ozempic.
What is a Patient Assistance Program?
Patient assistance programs (PAPs) help people with no health insurance and those who may be underinsured (including some with Medicare or Medicaid) afford medications. These programs are offered by the medication or device manufacturers, or sometimes by nonprofits or other government agencies.
PAPs may cover the full cost of medications or provide a discount. Most PAPs covered in this guide are manufacturer programs that offer free medication, sent to your doctor’s office or home, for one calendar year.
Patients
If you are uninsured or have Medicare Part D prescription drug benefits and you cannot afford your medication, you may qualify.
Note for Medicare Part D patients: As of 2027, patients with Medicare Part D are only eligible for J&J's program (Invokana) and Lilly Care's program for Trulicity. In 2026, both BI Cares (Jardiance) and NovoCare (Ozempic) began to exclude patients with Medicare Part D, limiting eligibility to uninsured patients only.
How to Use the Guide
- Start with page 1.Review this year’s program changes, check the quick list of PAPs open to Medicare Part D patients, and read the common patient questions, including how gross income differs from adjusted gross income.
- Gather information (page 2).Use the worksheet to record the patient’s household size, gross and adjusted gross income, insurance type, and Medicare Beneficiary Identifier (MBI) before applying.
- Find the medication’s page.Each program page shows who is eligible, the income limit with a household-size table, the documents needed, and how to apply.
- Apply.Use the online, fax, mail or upload steps on each page. QR codes link to the applications.
Please note: The income tables use the 2026 Federal Poverty Guidelines. The 2027 guidelines will be published in mid-January 2027, and the tables will be updated then. Program rules can change at any time, so confirm eligibility on each program’s website before applying.
What’s new for 2027
- Farxiga and Xigduo XR: AZ&Me assistance ended December 31, 2026. A new page outlines other options:
- generic dapagliflozin, with a cash price comparison
- other SGLT2i assistance programs
- non-profit foundations
- AstraZeneca Direct
- Jardiance (BI Cares):no new Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage patients as of October 15, 2026. Patients already enrolled may re-enroll for 2027 only, and uninsured patients can still apply.
- Invokana (J&J):updated eligibility rules, document list, mailing address, and new options to upload the paper application. The income table now shows J&J’s own published limits.
- Ozempic (NovoCare):online enrollment only. Medication ships to the patient’s home only, and Medicare Part D patients remain ineligible.
- Trulicity (Lilly Cares):still open to uninsured and Medicare Part D patients. Patients enrolled in full Extra Help (Low-Income Subsidy) or in alternative funding programs are not eligible.
Last updated: October 2026 to reflect upcoming 2027 program criteria. To access last year's 2026 PAP Guide, see this PDF.
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Support for The Michigan Collaborative for Type 2 Diabetes (MCT2D) is provided by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan as part of the BCBSM Value Partnerships program.
Although Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and MCT2D work collaboratively, the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed by the author do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of BCBSM or any of its employees.
