How much is Contrave without insurance?

In this article:

• Is Contrave covered by insurance?
• How much does Contrave cost without insurance?
• How to get Contrave without insurance

In this article

• Is Contrave covered by insurance?
• How much does Contrave cost without insurance?
• How to get Contrave without insurance

Contrave (bupropion-naltrexone) is a prescription medication prescribed for weight loss that couples two active ingredients: the antidepressant bupropion and the opioid blocker naltrexone. These strange bedfellows make for an effective obesity treatment option. Contrave is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for chronic weight management as an adjunct to a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity in those who meet the defined body mass index (BMI) criteria. Contrave has a retail price of $830 for a one-month supply. However, there are ways to reduce this cost. Read on to find out more. 

Related: Contrave for weight loss: Does it work?

What is the generic for Contrave?

There is no generic version of Contrave, and there may not be for at least a few more years while patents on the product expire. The two drugs that make Contrave are available as generic options. Historically, bupropion has been used for depression and smoking cessation, conditions that benefit from its dopamine and norepinephrine boost in the brain. Naltrexone is an opioid receptor antagonist, blocking the sites where opioids act and providing a treatment option for alcohol use disorder and opioid use disorder. These mechanisms of action may help with reducing appetite and cravings.

The fact that bupropion and naltrexone are available as generic drugs individually should get your wheels turning about using them as a substitute for Contrave. This would be off-label use of the medications because the FDA approves neither for weight loss. Dosing is another obstacle to this idea. The doses of bupropion and naltrexone in Contrave differ from the generic versions, so your healthcare provider must be creative in instructing you to get close to similar doses of Contrave. High doses of Contrave can be associated with the risk of seizure in those with certain medical conditions. Make sure that your doctor knows your complete medical history before changing dosing or medications.

Is Contrave covered by insurance?

Insurance plans and Medicare often do not cover Contrave. Aetna’s Standard Control Plan and a Human Medicare plan are examples of ones not covering the drug in 2024. You should still check your plan’s drug formulary to see if it is listed. 

Insurance carriers’ coverage of weight loss drugs is highly variable. Some even list Contrave as preferred over the more expensive glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 agonists) being used for weight management, Saxenda, Wegovy, and Zepbound.

How much does Contrave cost without insurance?

If you have health insurance, the out-of-pocket amount for a Contrave prescription will depend on a few factors. For one, you will need to see if it is on the formulary, and if it is, then you should check to see if it is a preferred option. Your copay will depend on this information. Finally, you may want to know if prior authorization is required, meaning that the insurance provider will want to see if you meet their criteria for the drug. Those criteria could range from your BMI to whether you have tried other weight loss options or medicine in the past.

Without insurance, the listed retail price of $830 is a starting point. That amount would cover 120, 8-90 mg tablets, and since Contrave is taken as two tablets twice daily, it constitutes a one-month supply. In other words, it costs about $27 per day and adds up to nearly $10,000 annually. Those figures can certainly differ from pharmacy to pharmacy.

In comparison, 60, 150 mg tablets of 12-hour extended-release bupropion retail for about $100, and naltrexone retails for $135 for 30, 50 mg tablets. The price is a lot less. Unfortunately, the doses do not work out to be identical to Contrave’s mixture of 8 mg of naltrexone and 90 mg of bupropion per tablet, with two tablets taken twice daily. Some healthcare providers are comfortable with the dose differences, but you will need to check with your medical team if interested.

Prescription drug prices often change. These are the most accurate medication prices at the time of publishing. The listed price without insurance references the price of brand-name drugs (unless otherwise specified). The listed SingleCare price references the price of generic drugs if available. Click the link under “Savings options” to see the latest drug prices.

How to get Contrave without insurance 

Paying the full price for Contrave or other brand-name medications can be challenging for your budget. Savings programs can help. The manufacturer of Contrave, Currax, offers the CurAccess Program, which is available to those with insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, and Tricare, provided eligibility guidelines are met. Additionally, the Contrave Savings coupon card can help reduce the price. However, there may be restrictions associated with both options.

For saving options that everyone can qualify for, look over the following:

1. Get a SingleCare discount card 
2. Use a SingleCare prescription discount card at your local pharmacy to see the difference it makes in pricing. It can knock the price of Contrave down from $830 to $610, a savings of $220 per month or $2640 annually.
3. Use a Contrave coupon
4. A SingleCare coupon for Contrave can save you about 25% off the retail price.
5. Shop around at different pharmacies 
6. Prices can vary. For example, with a SingleCare discount, Contrave can cost between $610 and $700, depending on the pharmacy.
7. Get the medical advice of your healthcare provider 
8. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if generic extended-release bupropion and naltrexone, taken separately, could be a viable alternative for you. Their combined price with a SingleCare discount would be $27 monthly. Remember that the FDA does not approve this use, and dosing is not identical to Contrave. 
9. Consider a cheaper weight-loss drug
10. Generic phentermine costs $5 for a one-month supply, but it is a controlled substance and is only approved for up to six months of use. Tell your healthcare provider about all the medicines you take, including prescription and over-the-counter medicines and vitamins. Adverse effects of phentermine can include high blood pressure and an increase in heart rate, which are enough to scare many people from taking it. Of note, Contrave can be associated with these common side effects, too. If an allergic reaction occurs, such as painful sores or swelling, seek immediate medical attention.
11. Think about a more effective weight management medicine
12. The GLP-1 agonist Zepbound sounds pricey at $910, even with a SingleCare discount. Still, studies have shown potential for around 20% weight loss with Zepbound, as opposed to about 6% body weight reduction with Contrave. The additional efficacy of Zepbound may be worth the added expense to some people. Zepbound has the same active ingredient, tirzepatide, as the Type 2 diabetes drug Mounjaro.