NOTE: Lilly CEO Dave Ricks followed up on the below with a new letter to Americans affected by COVID-19 who rely on Lilly insulin; on March 30, 2020, its full-page placement appeared in many newspapers across the United States. The letter below, published in December 2019, also appeared in many U.S. newspapers.

Each day, you trust us to provide you with insulin, a medicine that helps you manage your diabetes. And for those of you with type 1 diabetes, insulin is life saving. We take this responsibility seriously. In fact, nothing we do is more important.

The health care system has changed a lot over the last decade, and we’ve heard too many stories about people with diabetes who struggle to afford their insulin. That needs to change. You should not have to ration your treatment, and you should not have to choose between insulin and putting food on the table. Your health is too important.

We’re starting to see meaningful answers for people who live with diabetes. Payers, for instance, are finding ways to pass rebates on to patients and lower co-pays for insulin. Across health care, we need to build on these ideas. For people using Lilly insulin, we have several options for those who need help – such as limiting monthly prescription costs on many insulins to less than $100. We also offer a half-priced authorized generic insulin, some people are eligible for free insulin, and if you have an immediate need and nowhere else to turn, we can help you get insulin right away.

Regardless of your circumstances, please call the Lilly Diabetes Solution Center if you cannot afford your Lilly insulin. The phone number is 833-808-1234, and our U.S.-based health care professionals are available Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Eastern time, excluding company holidays. The calls are simple, the average time on the phone is about 10 minutes, and there’s no paperwork to fill out. We have operators who can take calls in Spanish and we can translate information into about 40 languages.

Millions of people with high deductible insurance plans will again face tough financial choices when their plans reset in January.

If you use Lilly insulin and need support, we have solutions that can make life easier for you. Please call us. We want to help.