Metformin (Generic Glucophage), $0 Copay Through Your Employer | StraightLineRX
Covered at $0 · StraightLineRX formulary

Metformin (Glucophage), $0 copay through your employer

Metformin is the most prescribed diabetes medication in the U.S. Employees managing type 2 diabetes fill it every single month. Through StraightLineRX, covered employees pay $0 at the counter, no copay, no deductible, no coupon required.

Typical monthly cost
$25
$0
per month · with StraightLineRX
per month · with StraightLineRX
applies when your employer has enrolled in StraightLineRX and this medication is on your covered formulary.
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Available at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and 65,000+ pharmacies nationwide. Or shipped directly to your home.

What is metformin and who needs it?

Metformin hydrochloride is the most widely prescribed medication for type 2 diabetes in the United States. It works by lowering glucose production in the liver and improving insulin sensitivity throughout the body. It is also used off-label for prediabetes, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), and insulin resistance.

Approximately 37 million Americans have type 2 diabetes, and tens of millions more are prediabetic. In a company of any meaningful size, multiple employees are filling metformin every month, and will continue to for years or decades. This is not a short-term prescription. It is a permanent monthly cost that StraightLineRX makes disappear.

Why does metformin still cost employees money?

Generic metformin immediate-release tablets are relatively inexpensive at retail, often $10–$20 per month. But many employees are on extended-release formulations (metformin ER or XR), which can cost $20–$40 without coverage. Even at $15/month, that is $180 per year per employee for a medication they have no choice but to take.

More importantly, employees on high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) pay full price until they meet their deductible. For early months of the year, metformin can cost $30–$60 out of pocket per fill. StraightLineRX bypasses this entirely, covered employees pay $0 regardless of the time of year or deductible status.

$180
Average annual out-of-pocket cost for an employee taking metformin on a standard employer health plan, a recurring expense that never goes away for employees managing diabetes long-term.

StraightLineRX eliminates this cost entirely for enrolled employees, and routes the fills outside your group insurance plan, meaning no claims on your plan and no deductible spend, because covered fills are intercepted before they ever hit your books.

How StraightLineRX covers metformin at $0

StraightLineRX is an employer-sponsored prescription benefit powered by Liviniti, an established national pharmacy benefit manager (formerly Southern Scripts) that has operated for 15 years and serves more than a million people across the US. These are the same FDA-approved medications your employees already fill, dispensed by licensed pharmacists at CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, and 65,000+ other pharmacies nationwide. Nothing about the medication changes. What changes is the price.

  • Covered at $0 copay, no deductible, no tier system, no prior authorization
  • Works at 65,000+ retail pharmacies including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Costco, and Rite Aid
  • Can also be shipped directly to employees’ homes, no pharmacy trip required
  • Employees keep their existing doctor and prescription, nothing changes except the cost
  • If the fill happens outside StraightLineRX for any reason, regular insurance still works exactly as before

The benefit costs employers $25 per employee per month, a flat fee covering the entire workforce and their households. Many employers save more than that in reduced prescription spend in the first month alone.

How to get metformin at $0 through your employer

Employees cannot sign up for StraightLineRX individually. This is an employer benefit, the company adds it for the whole team at once, and every enrolled employee and their household gets access immediately.

If you’re an employee: Forward this page to your HR director or benefits manager using the email template below. Once your employer signs up, you’ll receive an enrollment link and can start using the benefit within days.

If you’re an employer or HR manager: Schedule a call below. We’ll show you the exact monthly savings for your team and get you live in 2 business days.

Common questions about metformin cost and coverage

If your employer adds StraightLineRX, metformin is covered at $0 every month. Ask your HR director about adding the benefit. It takes 2 business days to launch and covers the entire company at once, you don't sign up individually.

Generic metformin immediate-release typically costs $10–$20 at most pharmacies. Extended-release (ER/XR) versions run $20–$40 without coverage. Even though it is one of the cheaper generics, it remains a permanent monthly cost for employees managing diabetes. Through StraightLineRX, it is $0.

Yes. Metformin hydrochloride is the generic equivalent of Glucophage, the original brand name. The FDA considers them therapeutically equivalent, same active ingredient, same dose, same effect. StraightLineRX covers generic metformin at $0 copay.

Yes. StraightLineRX works alongside your existing health plan. Covered prescriptions like metformin are filled through StraightLineRX at $0. For anything not on the formulary, your regular insurance works exactly as it always has, nothing changes.

Your employees managing diabetes shouldn’t be paying monthly copays.

Schedule a call and we’ll show exactly how many of your employees fill metformin and other covered medications, and what eliminating that cost means for your team’s health and your prescription spend.

Schedule a free 20-minute call