Eli Lilly and Company recently announced they will pair with Blink Health to give those without insurance or those in the payment phase of their high-deductible plans an easy way to get a discount on insulin via a medical app in 2017.
The program called the Blink Health Insulin Patient Access Program is funded by Lily and will give those using the Blink Health app a 40% discount on a range of Eli Lilly’s insulin products, including Humalog, Humulin, and Basaglar.
Patients will use the Blink Health platform online or on their mobile device and enter their prescription for insulin. They will then pay with a credit card and be able to pick up the product at a local pharmacy like Walgreens, CVS, or Walmart. Blink Health does not require a subscription, membership, or monthly premium. Those paying out-of-pocket just need to pay and pick up, although those on government health care programs are not eligible.
While this collaboration between Eli Lily and Blink is a first for both respective companies, the industry has been shifting towards patient-paid, insurance-bypassing model for the past few years with apps similar to Blink Health, most notably the GoodRx app. That app lets patients comparison shop prescriptions. And with their new app GoodRx Doctors, physicians can prescribe coupons directly to their patients
