
Last updated: October 6, 2020
With the inundation of information coming out about COVID-19, we wanted to address some of your most pressing questions and give you additional resources with continually updated information specially for people with diabetes.
In an effort to ensure the safety of the TCOYD team and the community as a whole, TCOYD will be implementing the recommended guidelines from the CDC including:
- Upcoming conferences for the remainder of 2020 will all be virtual. Our conference schedule for people living with diabetes can be found here, and our schedule for medical professionals can be found here.
- TCOYD staff will be working remotely. If you need to reach us, please call our office at 800.998.2693, leave a voicemail and a staff member will get back to you as soon as possible. You can also email your general questions to: info@tcoyd.org. If you need to reach a staff member directly, head to our staff page for each individual’s email address.
However, it is business as usual at TCOYD Remote Headquarters and we will continue stick by your side and provide education and motivation to the diabetes community. To stay educated during this time, check out our Living Library of Resources where we post our up-to-date information on diabetes treatment and management. Be sure to keep an eye out for COVID-19 updates on our homepage, where Dr. Edelman will address the health concerns as they relate to living with and/or treating diabetes on a regular basis.
If you need assistance immediately, check out TCOYD-approved resources below, with help from the Diabetes Disaster Response Coalition (DDRC).
We appreciate all your support during this time and are here to support you. We will be pumping out some great educational content for you in the upcoming days.
Stay healthy everyone, and remember, you are NOT alone!
Helpful Resources:
- TCOYD has joined forces with organizations across the world in one simple goal: tap in to the power of the global diabetes community to save lives. Together, we can lead the way in stopping the spread of COVID-19. Learn more about the #BigLittleChanges you can make to save lives at CoronavirusDiabetes.org
- Current updates: American Diabetes Association, or contact the ADA Center for Information: 1-800-DIABETES (800-342-2383)
- American Heart Association
- Experiencing symptoms: Some Urgent Care offices are offering free telehealth appts
- Help for people with disabilities: Partnership for Inclusive Disaster Strategies helps people with disabilities and the elderly to safety and provide immediate needs of durable medical equipment and supplies hotline: 1-800-626-4959
- Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Service: click here. For information on new relaxed guidelines for obtaining an insulin pump or CGM during the COVID-19 pandemic, click here.
- Financial Help for Diabetes Care: NIDDK – Find programs that may provide coverage for medical expenses for a person with diabetes. click here
- Info and recommendations from endocrineweb.com
- Info on COVID-19 antibody tests from endocrineweb
- American Association of Kidney Patients: Resource Hub
- Dialysis Patient Citizens: Resource Hub
- Kidney Care Partners: Resource Hub
- Renal Support Network: Resource Hub
- Caring for people in emergencies
COVID-19 Vaccine Info:
- Diabetes and the COVID-19 Vaccine: Video from Dr. Edelman and Dr. Pettus
- Medicare and the COVID-19 Vaccine
Resources for Medications/Supplies:
- Emergency Diabetes Supply Hotline: 1-314-INSULIN
- State Emergency Prescription Refills: click here
- Insulin Assistance from GetInsulin.org: click here
- Switching Insulin: Currently, patients may not have access to their prescribed insulin and limited monitoring capabilities. Download recommendations to help health care providers switch between insulin products in disaster response situations.
- Novo Nordisk FAQs, plus updated COVID-19 info and resources
- Insulet/Omnipod updated COVID-19 Info
- Lilly
- Sanofi
- Advanced Diabetes Supply
- Storing insulin safely
- Discarding Sharps
Emergency Glucagon:
Gvoke:
- Click here for savings and support, or call 1-877-myGvoke (1-877-694-8653)
- To further enhance access and affordability of Gvoke, a $0 copay offering is effective for a limited time for commercially insured patients who may or may not have Gvoke PFS or Gvoke HypoPen covered by their insurance plan. For more info and to access a digital co-pay card, please click here.
- For a home delivery option via PillPack, you can request a prescription for Gvoke from the comfort of your home and get it delivered at no additional charge.
Prescription Assistance Programs:
- Partnership for Prescription Assistance: Assistance program available to help offset the cost of supplies or prescription medicines. Call 1-888-4PPA-NOW (1-888-477-2669)
- Lilly Insulin Value Program (Humalog, Basaglar) now offers $35 monthly copays on most Lilly insulins for anyone with commercial insurance or no insurance at all. Reach out to the Lilly Diabetes Solution Center online or call 833-808-1234 Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern time. Must be 18 years of age or older, live in the U.S. or Puerto Rico, and not have government-sponsored prescription coverage (Medicare/Medicaid).
- Lilly’s Trulicity Co-Pay Savings Card: Eligible consumers can pay as little as $25/month. Must be 18 yrs of age or older, live in the U.S. or Puerto Rico, not have government-sponsored prescription coverage (Medicare/Medicaid), and have commercial (private) insurance.
- Novo Nordisk (Fiasp, NovoLog, NovoRapid, Levemir, Tresiba): People with diabetes facing financial difficulties as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic can now access a free 90-day supply of insulin under Novo Nordisk Inc.’s newly enhanced Patient Assistance Program (PAP). If you’re experiencing job loss, termination of healthcare benefits, or COBRA extension due to the pandemic, you may be eligible. Click here for additional Novo Nordisk assistance information.
- prescriptionhelp.aace.com
- Dexcom has designed a patient assistance program to offer relief to existing U.S. customers who have lost insurance coverage due to the impact of COVID-19. When the program launches for customers who meet eligibility requirements, Dexcom will enroll them in the program, provide two 90-day supply shipments of Dexcom CGM system supplies (with each shipment including one transmitter and three boxes of three sensors) and reduce customer cost to $45 per 90-day supply shipment. To learn more, visit www.dexcom.com/assistance.
- Insulet expanded their Omnipod® financial assistance program to support current Omnipod® Insulin Management System users during this time of challenge and change. The expanded benefits are intended for current Podders who have been negatively impacted by COVID-19. Upon meeting certain financial criteria, a current Podder™ may receive up to a six-month supply of products (60 Pods) free of charge. Applicants should contact Insulet Customer Care at 1-800-591-3455, option 2 to discuss eligibility. This program runs through 12/31/20.
- Sanofi has introduced a new temporary access program that will provide eligible people with immediate access to a 30-day supply of their medicine as they wait for their application to the patient assistance component of the Sanofi Patient Connection program to process. This program is available for patients on Sanofi’s diabetes and cardiovascular medicines. In addition, other temporary changes to help people who have recently been impacted as a result of COVID-19 include:
- Permitting early reorder of their prescription(s)
- Expansion of acceptable documentation for proof of income
- Extension of its Temporary Patient Assistance Program
- Additional Sanofi Assistance Programs can be found here.
- Medtronic: Medtronic expanded their Medtronic Assurance Program with a new option to support diabetes customers who have lost their health insurance due to COVID-19-related job loss. Current eligible U.S. customers can now receive a 3-month supply of glucose sensors, infusion sets and reservoirs at no cost.
- insulinsavings.com
- insulinaffordability.com
- admelog.com
- How to Save on Jardiance
- Mounjaro Savings Resources
Pharmacy Resources:
- CVS is offering free delivery for some insurance plans
- Open Pharmacies: Real-time updates for open pharmacies. Find a list of open pharmacies in your community
- Alto Pharmacy medication delivery. Alto’s COVID updates can be found here.
Insurance Company Info & Updates:
- Aetna
- Aetna/CVS Prescription Update
- Anthem
- Blue Cross Blue Shield
- Centene
- Cigna
- HCSC
- Humana
- Kaiser
- United Healthcare
Customer Care for Insulin, CGM & Pump Manufacturers:
- Abbott: 855-632-8658
- Dexcom: 888-738-3646
- Insulet (Omnipod): 800-591-3455
- Lilly: 800-545-5979
- Medtronic: 800-633-8766
- Novo Nordisk: 800-727-6500
- Sanofi: 800-633-1610
- Tandem Diabetes Care: 877-801-6901
If you have unexpired and unopened diabetes supplies, contact Insulin for Life USA for details. I4L collects in-date & unneeded insulin, test strips, as well as other diabetes supplies. They are then distributed, free of charge, to children and adults with diabetes who otherwise would go without these life saving medications.
Remote Diabetes Care:
Get free access to mySugr Pro, an app that supports both people with diabetes and healthcare professionals, helping them improve remote diabetes management (offer valid until September 30th, 2020). Visit Accu-chek.com and enter the voucher code 2020-2020-2020.
Telemedicine resources from Tidepool for people living with diabetes and/or people caring for them
Maintaining Connections:
- TCOYD Facebook Groups
- Online Diabetes Community
- How to Support Romance & Connection During COVID-19: Janis Roszler, TCOYD Faculty Member, Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, RD, LD/N, CDE, FAND PhD Candidate in Clinical Sexology, shares ways to maintain romance, intimacy and connection during COVID-19
For Healthcare Providers:
- Emergency Diabetes Supply Hotline. DDRC has activated a hotline for physicians and health care providers to request diabetes supplies: 1-314-INSULIN (314-467-8546). The supply request line will be open and staffed daily by members of the DDRC.
- Coronavirus facts, updates and guidance for your practice from ADCES (Association of Diabetes Care & Education Specialists) click here
- For product samples and support from Novo Nordisk: NovoMedLink
- Know Diabetes By Heart Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources:
The American Heart Association® and American Diabetes Association® are committed to helping you find relevant, science-based information on coronavirus and supporting optimal care for patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. - U.S. healthcare workers with diabetes can receive a free Glucose Revival Thrive oral glucose gel necklace by clicking here.
- Glooko’s remote patient care solution is free during COVID-19 for medical clinics
- Telemedicine resources from Tidepool for clinicians caring for people with diabetes
- American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists: Resource Hub
For Students:
- From the College Diabetes Network: Tips on finishing your semester at home, and family communication
Thank you so much for all your hard work, time and caring. It means everything to me. I have had diabetes for 30 years. I am fortunate to have a pump and a continuous glucose monitor. I am also fortunate to have you. Thanks for the continual education and the power that that gives me to take care of myself.
Thank YOU Emily! Stay well! 🙂
Thank you so much for compiling this in one place! Amazing resource! :0)
Thanks Heather! Stay safe and well!
Thank You very much for the information and the help you provide.
Invaluable! Much thanks for compiling this.
Excellent! Thank you for this big effort in listing all these helpful resources.
Thank you, this is really important.
These resources are really useful. Thanks!
Thank you for sharing this.
This is really helpful. The right info is very important these days.