How much is montelukast without insurance?

Is montelukast covered by insurance? | How much does montelukast cost without insurance? | How to get montelukast without insurance

Montelukast, generic for Singulair, is a prescription drug that prevents and treats asthma, prevents exercise-induced bronchospasm, and relieves the symptoms of allergic rhinitis. Montelukast is taken as an oral tablet, chewable tablet, oral granules, or oral solution. The standard dosage is 10 mg taken once per day. Montelukast is an expensive drug, and Singulair costs even more. That doesn’t mean it isn’t affordable, though. There are many ways to avoid paying the full retail price. In fact, a 30-day supply of montelukast could cost as little as $4 without insurance.

RELATED: Singulair side effects 

Is montelukast covered by insurance?

Generic montelukast is usually covered by commercial health insurance, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid, provided it’s prescribed for an FDA-approved condition.

How much does montelukast cost without insurance?

If a person does not have health insurance, paying the full retail price for montelukast will run about $145 a month. Brand-name Singulair is more: about $289 per month. When you add up the monthly cost, a year’s worth of generic montelukast treatment will reach about $1,700 and Singulair will exceed $3,000. That may be hard to manage without a health insurance plan. However, the out-of-pocket cost with insurance coverage will usually be lower than the retail cost. What each person pays will depend on the insurance plan’s formulary, copay costs, and coinsurance. For Medicare Part D participants, costs will rely on the various coverage phases during the year.

There are less expensive options to prevent asthma attacks. Montelukast belongs to a class of drugs called leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs). These drugs block the action of leukotrienes, inflammatory substances that cause swelling and airway constriction. Both Accolate (zafirlukast) and Zyflo (zileuton) are LTRAs, but only generic zafirlukast costs less than generic montelukast. A healthcare professional can provide medical advice about less expensive prescription medications. For instance, inhaled corticosteroids are both less expensive and more effective than leukotriene inhibitors. Other alternatives for asthma prevention include long-acting beta-agonists (LABAs) and theophylline.

For people with allergic rhinitis, healthcare providers usually do not prescribe Singulair or montelukast until all other treatment options have been tried first, including over-the-counter medications. This is because montelukast can cause serious neuropsychiatric side effects, so the risks outweigh the symptoms being treated. 

RELATED: Montelukast alternatives | Should you use Singulair for allergies?

OTC medications, herbal remedies, and dietary supplements may relieve breathing problems or other symptoms of mild asthma, seasonal allergies, and hay fever, but they should not be used in place of prescription medications to control moderate to severe asthma.

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. The listed SingleCare price references the price of generic drugs if available. Click the link under “Savings options” to see updated drug prices.

How to get montelukast without insurance

Though montelukast is moderately expensive, there may be months where the full cash price of $145 is challenging to afford. However, there’s no reason for anyone to pay full price for montelukast. There are plenty of strategies to purchase this prescription at a discounted price. Some uninsured patients can get the medication free by enrolling in Merck’s patient assistance program for Singulair. However, not everyone will meet the eligibility requirements, and it will not cover generic Singulair. There are easier and more certain ways to save money, starting with the use of a SingleCare discount card. 

1. Get a discount with a SingleCare savings card

The average retail price for generic montelukast is $145 for a 30-day supply. The lowest SingleCare prescription discount price is $4 for that same prescription. Outside of free, that’s likely as cheap as it will get. Start by reviewing pharmacy discounts on the montelukast free coupon page. Got questions? Look over the FAQs on SingleCare’s How It Works page.

2. Get a discount by price shopping 

You can find remarkable savings just by price shopping. The highest pharmacy price for montelukast is $170 for a 30-day supply. The lowest price is $41.

3. Save an additional 5% by finding the cheapest 90-day price 

Some generic medications are cheaper per tablet when filled as a 90-day prescription. The lowest retail price for a 30-day montelukast prescription is $41. That’s a 70% discount off the average price. A 90-day supply can cost as little as $100, or $33 per month. That’s an additional 5% savings.

4. Always consider all the costs

Realistically speaking, once the price of montelukast is discounted to as low as $4 per month, there’s not much reason to search for better deals. However, for people with asthma, there will likely be other costs, such as emergency inhalers, office visits, lab tests, and potential urgent care or emergency room visits. With all of the possible costs added, the best cost-savings solution may be having health insurance. If private health insurance is unaffordable, consider enrolling in Medicaid. Each state has a website that explains eligibility criteria, the enrollment process, and additional information that may be needed