In Recognition of National Diabetes Awareness Month and Veteran's Day, Roche Honors the One in Four Veterans Living With Diabetes at iHeartCountry One Night For Our Military Concert

INDIANAPOLIS, Nov. 7, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Roche today marks their continued commitment toward the 1 out of every 10 Americansⁱ living with diabetes through their role as Presenting Partner at the iHeartCountry One Night For Our Military concert at the iHeartRadio Theater in Los Angeles, California on November 7. With nearly 25 percent of the Veterans Affairs (VA) patient population living with this chronic conditionⁱⁱ, Roche, the makers of Accu-Chek^® products, is dedicated to raising awareness, education and helping manage the high costs of diabetes.

The exclusive show, hosted by iHeartRadio on-air personality Bobby Bones, will feature performances by The Valory Music Co.'s chart-topping Country stars Brantley Gilbert and Eli Young Band, plus diabetes advocate, Ben Rue for American heroes from across the country. The intimate performance and Q&A will be recorded for a nationwide broadcast across iHeartMedia's Mainstream Country radio station on Veteran's Day, November 11. The theater will be packed with American heroes and their guests from across the country.

"As a proud Military Friendly^® Employerⁱⁱⁱ we are honored to be part of an event that celebrates our veterans and drives awareness of how those living with diabetes can help ease the financial burden and management hurdles of living with such a complicated and expensive condition," said Brad Moore, Head of Roche Diabetes Care, North America.

Following the launch earlier this year of #BuckOffDiabetes – a campaign that represents a bold, new attitude for taking on diabetes – Roche and T1D country singer Ben Rue have been touring across America with iHeartCountry and spreading the word about how to not only save a buck, but donate a buck to a worthwhile cause.

• Save a buck: With the Accu-Chek^® Guide SimplePay Program^iv people with diabetes can save a few bucks by always paying the same low price for every test strip refill. 
• Donate a buck: Whether you have diabetes, or if diabetes affects someone you know and love, you can join the movement by turning your hand into bull horns and sharing a photo on social media with #BuckOffDiabetes. For every post, the company will donate a buck to several diabetes-related organizations.^v

"iHeartMedia is passionately committed to addressing the most prevalent issues facing our military – from their transition back to civilian life to their mental and physical health and wellbeing," said Tom Poleman, Chief Programming Officer of iHeartMedia. "Our partnership with Roche and our iHeartCountry One Night For Our Military Concert is the perfect way to both celebrate our servicemen and women while also raising awareness about diabetes among the military population."

In support of this campaign, Roche is proud to donate to the following organizations: Beyond Type 1, the College Diabetes Network, and Taking Control of Your Diabetes. Each of these organizations is making significant strides to advance diabetes education, treatment and care, while sharing Roche Diabetes Care's mission of improving the lives of those living with diabetes.

In honor of Diabetes Awareness month, iHeartMedia produced "iHeartRadio's Living with Diabetes" public affairs program, a show featuring information, tools and resources about the disease.  Brad Moore, Head of Roche Diabetes Care for North America was featured on the show and talked about what Roche Diabetes Cares is doing to help people living with diabetes and examples about how the company is giving back to the community.

Learn how to save a buck, donate a buck and better manage your diabetes by bucking the trend at  www.accu-chek.com.  

About Accu-Chek^® Guide SimplePay Program
With the SimplePay program, Roche Diabetes Care offers people with diabetes a solution that addresses today's increasing insurance costs and high deductibles by allowing consumers to pay a consistent and easy-to-understand everyday low price for test strips.^iv

To start saving today, you can download the free SimplePay card at SimplePaySaves.com and hand the card to your pharmacist along with a prescription for the Accu-Chek^® Guide meter and test strips. Free SimplePay savings cards are also available in select physician offices and pharmacies.

About Ben Rue
Ben is a country singer and songwriter from Silverton, Oregon who is living with type 1 diabetes. In 2012, he made the move to Nashville to pursue a career as a professional musician. While touring the country to share his music, Ben's profile continues to increase with 2M+ streams on Spotify. Ben's debut single, "I Can't Wait (Be My Wife)," released Spring 2014, garnered attention from Billboard as "wedding song of the summer for 2014."

Ben was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes as a young teen and struggled to adjust and gain confidence in himself. As a result, Ben is focused on helping others stay motivated and positive when it comes to life with a chronic illness. This year Ben will be traveling across the country to share the news about the #BuckOffDiabetes campaign.

*Ben Rue is a paid spokesperson for Roche Diabetes Care, Inc. and Accu-Chek^®.

About Roche Diabetes Care
Roche Diabetes Care is pioneering innovative diabetes technologies and services for more than 40 years. Being a global leader in integrated diabetes management, more than 5,000 employees in over 100 markets worldwide work every day to support people with diabetes and those at risk to achieve more time in their target range and experience true relief from the daily therapy routines. Roche Diabetes Care collaborates with caregivers, healthcare providers and payers to optimally manage this complex condition and contribute to sustainable care structures. Under the brand Accu-Chek and in collaboration with partners, Roche Diabetes Care creates value by providing integrated solutions to monitor glucose levels, deliver insulin and track as well as contextualize relevant data points for a successful therapy. By establishing a leading open ecosystem, connecting devices, digital solutions, Roche Diabetes Care will enable optimal personalised diabetes management and thus improve therapy outcomes. Since 2017, mySugr with its world-leading mobile diabetes management app and services is part of Roche Diabetes Care. For more information, please visit www.accu-chek.com and www.mysugr.com.

About Roche
Roche is a global pioneer in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics focused on advancing science to improve people's lives. The combined strengths of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics under one roof have made Roche the leader in personalised healthcare – a strategy that aims to fit the right treatment to each patient in the best way possible.

Roche is the world's largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, immunology, infectious diseases, ophthalmology and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management.

Founded in 1896, Roche continues to search for better ways to prevent, diagnose and treat diseases and make a sustainable contribution to society. The company also aims to improve patient access to medical innovations by working with all relevant stakeholders. Thirty medicines developed by Roche are included in the World Health Organization Model Lists of Essential Medicines, among them life-saving antibiotics, antimalarials and cancer medicines. Roche has been recognised as the Group Leader in sustainability within the Pharmaceuticals, Biotechnology & Life Sciences Industry nine years in a row by the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI).

The Roche Group, headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, is active in over 100 countries and in 2017 employed about 94,000 people worldwide. In 2017, Roche invested CHF 10.4 billion in R&D and posted sales of CHF 53.3 billion. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com.

All trademarks used or mentioned in this release are protected by law.

About Beyond Type 1
Beyond Type 1 was founded in 2015 by Juliet de Baubigny, Nick Jonas, Sarah Lucas and Sam Talbot, and is a new brand of philanthropy leveraging the power of social media and technology, changing what it means to live with a chronic disease. With a focus on education, advocacy and the path to a cure, Beyond Type 1 has developed a broad ranging portfolio of grantees and programs aimed at improving the lives of people impacted by Type 1 diabetes.

About The College Diabetes Network
The College Diabetes Network (CDN) is the only nonprofit organization singularly focused on empowering young adults with diabetes during their transition to independence at college and beyond. By creating peer-based support networks and equipping young adults with expert resources and direction, CDN and its corporate partners provide a pathway to owning one's health decisions. The result is young adults who feel better, understand their options, are familiar with how to access these options, and are more empowered to do so.   

About Taking Control of Your Diabetes
Guided by the belief that every person with diabetes has the right to live a healthy, happy and productive life, Taking Control Of Your Diabetes (TCOYD), a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, educates, motivates and empowers people with diabetes to take a more active role in their condition and provides innovative and integrative continuing diabetes education to medical professionals caring for people with diabetes.

About iHeartMedia
iHeartMedia is the number one audio company in the United States, reaching nine out of 10 Americans every month – and with its quarter of a billion monthly listeners, has a greater reach than any other media company in the U.S. The company's leadership position in audio extends across multiple platforms including 850 live broadcast stations; streaming music, radio and on demand via its iHeartRadio digital service available across more than 250 platforms and 2,000 devices including smart speakers, digital auto dashes, tablets, wearables, smartphones, virtual assistants, TVs and gaming consoles; through its influencers; social; branded iconic live music events; and podcasts as the #1 commercial podcast publisher globally. iHeartMedia also leads the audio industry in analytics and attribution technology for its marketing partners, using data from its massive consumer base. iHeartMedia is a division of iHeartMedia, Inc. (PINK: IHRTQ). Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.

For more information please contact:

Anne Gill
Head of Communications, Diabetes Care North America
Indianapolis, IN
Phone: 317.521.0500
[email protected]

Accu-Chek^®, Accu-Chek^® GUIDE and Accu-Chek^® GUIDE SIMPLEPAY are trademarks of Roche.

References
ⁱ https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pdfs/library/socialmedia/diabetes-infographic.pdf 
ⁱⁱ U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs: https://www.research.va.gov/pubs/docs/va_factsheets/Diabetes.pdf
ⁱⁱⁱ http://militaryfriendly.com/employers/roche-diagnostics/
^iv THE CARD IS NOT INSURANCE; IT IS A CASH DISCOUNT PROGRAM AND CANNOT BE COMBINED WITH ANY FORM OF HEALTH INSURANCE. Those insured by any government healthcare program, such as Medicare or Medicaid, are NOT eligible for the Accu-Chek SimplePay Card. Some insurers may offer a lower cost option. Prescription for Accu-Chek Guide meter and 30- or 90-day supply of Accu-Chek Guide test strips is required. The program may be changed or discontinued at any time.
^v For full details, please read the terms and conditions at www.buckoffdiabetes.com

SOURCE Roche; Roche Diabetes Care