Insulin Help in San Antonio: Up to $100 Per Prescription at H-E-B — No Paperwork Required

If you or someone in your family takes insulin, San Antonio’s city health department will help pay for it — up to $100 toward every insulin prescription, refills included — and the city’s own program page says the quiet part out loud: no proof of income, no proof of insurance, no proof of citizenship, no documents at all. You enroll at the pharmacy counter. The one catch is real: the program runs only until its funding is used up, and there is no promised end date. Here’s how it works and how to sign up this week.

The program: Metro Health + H-E-B Diabetes Insulin Assistance

The City of San Antonio’s Metropolitan Health District (Metro Health) relaunched its Diabetes Insulin Assistance Program with H-E-B on May 15, 2026. As of today, the city’s official program page shows the program open, and states it “will remain available until allocated funding is exhausted.”

What participants get:

• Up to $100 toward each insulin prescription — including refills. Every refill is a new chance to use the help, not a one-time coupon.
• 19 participating H-E-B pharmacies across San Antonio, in the neighborhoods where diabetes hits hardest. The current list is on the city’s program page, linked below.
• Free insulin delivery if you live within 15 miles of the pharmacy filling your prescription (a delivery fee applies beyond 15 miles).
• Optional free diabetes workshops — Metro Health offers them, and attending is not required to get the prescription help.

Who qualifies — and the paperwork you DON’T need

Per the City of San Antonio: San Antonio and Bexar County families who need financial help paying for an insulin prescription are eligible to join. And the city’s page states plainly: “Proof of income, insurance, citizenship or other documents are not required to join the program.”

That means this help is open to you whether you are uninsured, on Medicare or Medicaid, covered by an employer plan with a painful copay, or anywhere in between — if the cost of insulin is a burden, you may qualify. Nearly 17% of Bexar County adults have been diagnosed with diabetes (per a University Health report), and it hits hardest in households earning under $25,000 a year — exactly the neighbors this program was built for.

How to enroll (at the pharmacy, in minutes)

1. Get your insulin prescription to a participating H-E-B pharmacy. Ask your healthcare provider to send it there, transfer it from your current pharmacy, or fill it in person.
2. Ask the H-E-B pharmacy representative about the Diabetes Insulin Assistance Program and tell them you want to be connected to it.
3. Complete the consent form — electronically, either online or right at the participating pharmacy. Sharing your contact information lets Metro Health’s Diabetes Prevention and Control Program follow up, and you’ll be offered the free workshops (again: optional, never required).

Questions before you go? Call the City at 3-1-1 (or 210-207-6000 from a phone that doesn’t support 3-1-1) and ask about the Diabetes Insulin Assistance Program.

Why to do it now, not next month

Most programs on this site have deadlines. This one has something less predictable: a funding pool. The city says the program stays open until the allocated money is exhausted — no closing date is promised, and when the funds are gone, the page changes. If insulin is straining your budget, enrolling while the program shows “open” is the whole strategy. It costs nothing to ask at the counter, and a transfer takes one phone call from the pharmacy.

If you take insulin and also deal with Medicare drug costs, it’s worth reading how the Part D rules are shifting too — see our guide to Medicare Part D changes for 2027 — and if money is tight across the board, the free Apply for Me check below reviews food, utility, and health programs your household may qualify for alongside this one.

FAQ

How much does the program pay toward insulin?
Up to $100 per insulin prescription, and refills count — each refill can use the assistance again.

Do I need to show proof of income or insurance?
No. The City of San Antonio’s program page states that proof of income, insurance, citizenship, or other documents is not required to join.

Which H-E-B stores participate?
19 H-E-B pharmacies in San Antonio participate. The current list is published on the City’s Diabetes Insulin Assistance Program page (linked below) — check it for the store nearest you before you transfer a prescription.

Can my insulin be delivered?
Yes — delivery is free if you live within 15 miles of the participating pharmacy filling your prescription. A delivery fee applies beyond 15 miles.

Do I have to attend a diabetes class?
No. Metro Health offers free diabetes workshops to participants, but the city states attending is not required to participate in the program.

When does the program end?
There is no set end date. The city says the program remains available until its allocated funding is exhausted — which is why enrolling sooner matters.

Helpful links & phone numbers

• City of San Antonio — Diabetes Insulin Assistance Program (sa.gov) — the official program page: eligibility, how to access it, the consent form, and the participating H-E-B pharmacy list. Program status shown as open (checked Oct 17, 2026).
• City of San Antonio customer service — dial 3-1-1 or 210-207-6000: ask about the Diabetes Insulin Assistance Program.
• Medicare Part D Changes for 2027 — our guide to what’s shifting in Medicare drug coverage, for insulin users on Medicare.
• San Antonio Free Meals — free food distributions, pantries, and community meals across San Antonio, no application needed.
• 2-1-1 Texas — dial 2-1-1: free, confidential help line for local assistance of every kind.