SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District and H-E-B relaunched the Diabetes Insulin Assistance Program in May 2026, covering up to $100 per insulin prescription, including refills, for eligible residents of San Antonio and Bexar County. The program initially launched in 2025 and served 1,445 residents.

Proof of income, insurance or citizenship is not required to join. To participate, residents are directed to ask their doctor to send an insulin prescription to a participating H-E-B pharmacy and to fill out a consent form online or at a participating pharmacy.

"Access to insulin is critical for individuals living with diabetes." said Claude A. Jacob, director of Metro Health. "This program helps reduce financial barriers so residents can continue managing their health and avoid serious complications."

Residents can register by having their doctor send an insulin prescription to one of 19 participating H-E-B pharmacies or by dropping it off in person. Participants who complete the consent form provide their contact information to Metro Health, which uses it to connect them with no-cost diabetes education workshops. Attendance at those workshops is not required to participate in the program.

The San Antonio City Council allocated $200,000 in 2024 for the program. Metro Health also offers resources on nutrition, physical wellbeing and other disease prevention assistance, and provides information about the program through its website and the telephone number 3-1-1.

GoodRx reported that the average cost per insulin unit was 19 cents in 2024, the lowest average recorded in more than a decade. Cartons of insulin pens or vials can range from $43 to $381, depending on the brand.