Walmart Launches Effort to Save Diabetes Patients Up to $60 Million Annually

PRESS RELEASE

BENTONVILLE, Ark. — July 24, 2012 – Walmart today launched an effort to save diabetes patients in the U.S. up to $60 million annually with Walmart’s exclusive ReliOn brand of diabetes products. ReliOn products provide an affordable, high-quality option to help the nearly 26 million individuals who live with diabetes in the U.S. better manage their disease.

In particular, Walmart introduced today the low-cost ReliOn Prime meter and blood sugar test strips. The retailer will offer the ReliOn Prime meter for $16.24 and ReliOn Prime blood sugar test strips at $9 for 50-ct strips, or 18 cents per test. People with diabetes use meters and blood sugar test strips daily to test their blood sugar levels and determine when they need to take insulin.

“Many people with diabetes struggle to manage their disease due to its terrible financial burden,” said John Agwunobi, M.D., president of Walmart U.S. Health and Wellness. “We’ve worked closely with our suppliers and found a way to significantly reduce the cost of diabetes products for all of our customers, whether they have insurance or not, so they can better manage their disease.”

Walmart will provide increased savings on a variety of items to help patients ease the cost of diabetes management. ReliOn items that will see reduced prices include gloves, lancets, syringes and more. Walmart also offers ReliOn insulin products at the everyday low price of $24.88 per bottle.

The American Diabetes Association recommends that people who take insulin to treat their diabetes should test their blood glucose levels a minimum of three times per day to appropriately manage the disease, and many people on oral medications also test their blood glucose, which can result in expensive out-of-pocket costs. People with diabetes spend as much as $1,000 each year on blood glucose monitoring test strips alone, regardless of whether they have insurance. Switching to ReliOn Prime test strips can save each diabetes patient as much as $784 a year.

The Walmart Foundation has donated more than $2 million to diabetes-focused organizations across the U.S. over the last fiscal year, including the American Diabetes Association, Diabetes Today Advisory Council, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation and Southeastern Diabetes Education Services.

For more information on Walmart’s affordable healthcare solutions, please visit http://www.walmartstores.com/HealthWellness/.

Editor’s Note: Prices on ReliOn Prime meter and blood sugar test strips may vary in Alaska, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.