Colorado Insulin Affordability Program (HB21-1307 / HB24-1438)
Three tracks: (1) $100 commercial copay cap on CO-regulated plans, (2) Insulin Affordability Program at $50/30-day for 12 months if your normal copay exceeds $100 (CANNOT be on Medicare/Medicaid), (3) Emergency 30-day supply at $35 once per 12-month period.
Application required
What you need to enroll
Application required
Fill out an application — income or residency documents may be needed. Approval typically takes 1–2 weeks. You'll need an active prescription to use the program once you're approved.
Any insulin (covered by your CO-regulated plan, or via the state safety-net program)30-day supply
Am I eligible?
Need a prescription?
Yes — written by a licensed prescriber for the medications below.
Insurance required?
Open to insured and uninsured patients.
State restrictions?
Only available in CO.
Income limits?
No income test.
Accepted
Colorado resident (proof required: CO ID / driver's license / permit / tribal ID; for minors, parent provides proof)
Current insulin prescription
For commercial cap path: CO-regulated insurance plan (look for "CO-DOI" on your card)
For 12-month $50 path: normal copay >$100/30-day, NOT eligible for Medicare or Medicaid
For $35 emergency path: <7 days insulin remaining, not used in past 12 months
Not accepted
Out-of-state residents
Self-funded ERISA employer plans (not state-regulated — no "CO-DOI" mark on card)
For the 12-month $50 track: anyone enrolled in or eligible for Medicare or Medicaid (Health First Colorado)
Emergency $35 path: already used once in the past 12 months
How to apply
For the $100 commercial cap: present your CO-regulated insurance card at any pharmacy — applied automatically
For the $50 / 12-month track: must currently pay more than $100/30-day for insulin AND not be enrolled in or eligible for Medicare or Medicaid (Health First Colorado)
For the $35 emergency 30-day supply: must have <7 days of insulin left; once per 12-month period
Apply via the Insulin Affordability Program application (see applicationUrl)
Bring CO residency proof: CO ID, driver's license, permit, or tribal-issued ID
For CO-regulated commercial insurance: cap automatically applies at $100/30-day. For 12-month $50 or emergency $35 tracks, the patient must have completed the Insulin Affordability Program application (CO Division of Pharmacy) — verify they have an approval before processing at those rates.
Program legal authority: HB21-1307 (2021), minor update HB24-1438 (2024). The $100 commercial copay cap applies to CO-regulated insurance plans (check for "CO-DOI" on your card). The Insulin Affordability Program ($50/30-day, 12-month) is a safety-net program — explicitly excludes Medicare-eligible and Medicaid-eligible patients. The $35 emergency 30-day supply requires <7 days insulin remaining and is one-shot per 12-month period. The 2026 HB26 cap-reduction effort (potentially dropping the $100 commercial cap to $35) is NOT in force as of 2026-05-11 — the live state DPO page still describes $100/$50/$35 structure.
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