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Key takeaways
Non-branded insulin products are rare. The lack of variety of insulin manufacturers has historically driven high and excess costs for those needing insulin for the management of their Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes.
Novolog FlexPen is a rapid-acting insulin product used to control blood sugar levels in patients with diabetes. Without insurance, the cash price of Novolog FlexPen can run as high as $150 per month for roughly a 30-day supply.
Using savings cards and exploring all cost-reduction options can bring the list price of Novolog FlexPen to as low as $30 per month for the same supply.
Novolog FlexPen (insulin aspart injection) is a prescription medication approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in the management of diabetes. There are many insulin products on the market, and one way to classify them is by how quickly they take effect and how long the effect is anticipated to last. Novolog FlexPen is a rapid-acting insulin that works quickly but with short effects. The dose of Novolog FlexPen is highly individualized and based on patient-specific factors, including blood sugar levels and carbohydrate intake. Without insurance, the average cost of Novolog Flexpen is $147 for a single 3 mL pen of 100 units/mL (typically providing a 30-day supply).
Related: Novolog Flexpen dosage | Novolog Flexpen side effects
What is the brand name/generic for Novolog Flexpen?
Novolog FlexPen is Novo Nordisk’s brand-name formulation of rapid-acting insulin. The generic version is known by the name insulin aspart. Insulin aspart begins acting more quickly than other insulin injections but is not as long-acting. There are three major manufacturers of insulin in the United States. The other two insulin manufacturers have counterpart rapid-acting formulations available as insulin pens, including Sanofi-Aventis’s Admelog (insulin lispro), Apidra (insulin glulisine), and Eli Lilly’s Humalog (insulin lispro). Novo Nordisk has another insulin aspart formulated with niacinamide for faster absorption, marketed as brand-name Fiasp. Eli Lilly also produces another insulin lispro formulation with treprostinil and citrate for faster absorption, marketed under the name Lyumjev.
Is Novolog Flexpen covered by insurance?
Insurance coverage of prescription drugs is difficult to predict, as each health insurance company creates its own deductibles, formularies, and preferred medications within drug classes and indications. Novolog FlexPen is typically covered by insurance plans and Medicare Part D, but copays will vary by health plan. However, as part of President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act passed in 2023, Americans covered by a Medicare insurance plan began to see caps on their insulin costs to $35 per month.
In response to this historic act, insulin manufacturers Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Sanofi began lowering the retail price of insulin products and instituting price caps for out-of-pocket costs for Medicare recipients, those insured by Medicaid, and uninsured patients. It is always important for a healthcare provider to assist patients in understanding their insulin eligibility through their health insurance so issues with access and cost can be minimized.
How much does Novolog Flexpen cost without insurance?
Novolog FlexPen copays with insurance and Medicare plans will vary by plan. The average retail cash price of a 3 mL pen containing 100 units/mL is approximately $150, which should provide a 30-day supply for most patients. Some diabetes patients, however, may require particularly higher doses, which may decrease the total days supplied by the insulin pen. Therefore, the annual cost of Novolog FlexPen for a patient without insurance can be over $2,000. Using a SingleCare discount card, the lowest price for the same Novolog FlexPen is just under $30 for a 30-day supply or $360 per year, yielding over $1,500 in savings.
Compare Novolog Flexpen prices to related drugs |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Drug name | Price without insurance of brand-name drug | SingleCare price | Savings options |
| Novolog Flexpen (insulin aspart) | $147 per 1, 3 mL 100 unit/mL pen | $29 per 1, 3 mL 100 unit/mL pen of brand-name Novolog Flexpen | See latest prices |
| Humalog | $356 per 1, 10 mL 100 unit vial | $26 per 1, 10 mL 100 unit vial of brand-name Humalog | See latest prices |
| Fiasp
(insulin aspart with niacinamide) |
$385 per 1, 10 mL 100 unit vial | $225 per 1, 10 mL 100 unit vial of brand-name Fiasp | See latest prices |
| Apidra
(insulin glulisine) |
$346 per 1, 10 mL 100 unit vial | $88 per 1, 10 mL 100 unit vial of brand-name Apidra | See latest prices |
| Afrezza
(inhaled insulin) |
$546 per 1, 4 unit box of 90 powders | $445 per 1, 4 unit box of 90 powders of brand-name Afrezza | See latest prices |
| Lyumjev
(insulin lispro with treprostinil and citrate) |
$349 per 1, 10 mL 100 unit vial | $277 per 1, 10 mL 100 unit vial of brand-name Lyumjev
|
See latest prices |
| Admelog | $62 per 1, 3 mL 100 unit/mL vial | $26 per 1, 3mL 100 unit/mL vial of brand-name Admelog | See latest prices |
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 Novolog Flexpen without insurance
Paying for expensive brand-name medications without insurance is difficult for the average person. Novolog FlexPen is no exception. Fortunately, there are alternatives to paying the full price of your Novolog FlexPen prescription without insurance. Here are some more dependable ways to save money on Novolog FlexPen:
- Using a SingleCare discount card at your local pharmacy can significantly reduce the cash price of these prescription drugs. For example, you can pay as low as $30 per month for a 3 mL pen with 100 units/mL, resulting in significant savings from the listed average case price of nearly $150 per month for the same pen.
- The ReliOn brand is the private label of rapid-acting, analog insulin offered by certain pharmacies. Manufactured by Novo Nordisk, it may offer significantly reduced list prices, up to 75% lower than the cash price of the branded insulin product.
- Compare pharmacy cash prices. The same insulin formulation price at one retail pharmacy may differ from other pharmacies.
Sources
- Types of Insulin, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024)
- FACT SHEET: President Biden’s cap on the cost of insulin could benefit millions of Americans in all 50 states, The White House Briefing Room (2023)
- All 3 major insulin manufacturers are cutting their prices—here’s what the news means for patients with diabetes, JAMA (2023)
- Walmart revolutionizes insulin access & affordability for patients with diabetes with the launch of the first and only private brand analog insulin, Walmart (2021)
