ST PAUL, Minn. — Free and low-cost insulin is now flowing into Minnesota, after an agreement negotiated between the Minnesota Attorney General's Office and pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly.
In a news release issued Thursday, the AG's office said Eli Lilly is shipping free insulin for use by Minnesotans with diabetes to nine clinics across the state. Working with Direct Relief - a nonprofit whose mission is to improve the lives of people in poverty or emergency situations - those clinics enrolled to provide free insulin to low-income Minnesotans who meet specific eligibility criteria.
Those clinics include:
- C.A.R.E. Clinic - Red Wing - 651-388-1022
- Scenic Rivers Health Services - Cook, MN - 218-666-5941
- Hennepin Healthcare System - Minneapolis - 612-873-3000
- Indian Health Board of Minneapolis - Minneapolis - 612-721-9800
- Lake Superior Community Health Center - Duluth - 218-722-1497
- Minnesota Community Care - St. Paul - 651-602-7500
- Southside Community Health Services - Minneapolis - 612-827-7181
- St. Mary's Health Services - St. Paul - 651-287-7777
- United Family Medicine - St. Paul - 651-758-9500
The AG's office said there is still an opportunity for six more clinics across Minnesota to become involved in the free insulin distribution program. Interested clinics should contact the AG's Office by email.
“If you’re a clinic already doing the hard work of making sure people are healthy in your community, talk to us, let’s work together to expand free insulin access to Minnesotans across the state,” Ellison said in a statement.
The settlement, hammered out in 2018 after Ellison's office sued Eli Lilly and other manufacturers over the high cost of insulin, guarantees all Minnesotans will be able to purchase the life-saving prescriptions for $35 per month for a duration of at least five years. You can find more about that program on the AG website.