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Key takeaways
Soolantra is an expensive medication used to treat rosacea, with a cost of $845 per tube without insurance, but insurance coverage and a Galderma CareConnect savings card can significantly reduce the out-of-pocket expense.
Insurance plans may cover Soolantra but often require step therapy, and even with insurance, the cost can remain high; alternatives include generic ivermectin or other topical and oral medications for rosacea.
Uninsured patients can save on Soolantra through methods such as using a SingleCare savings card, obtaining free samples from dermatologists, or purchasing from the lowest-priced pharmacies.
Considering alternative drugs is advisable as insurance companies may require trying less expensive medications before approving Soolantra, which could be a cost-effective solution for rosacea treatment.
Is Soolantra covered by insurance | How much does Soolantra cost without insurance? | How to get Soolantra without insurance
Soolantra 1% cream is a brand-name prescription drug that treats rosacea, an inflammatory skin condition affecting the face. Applied in a thin layer to the affected areas of the face once daily, Soolantra diminishes the blemishes, pimples, and bumps typical of rosacea, but is not FDA-approved to improve redness or flushing. Soolantra’s active ingredient, ivermectin, is a long-established treatment for worms and is also commonly used as an over-the-counter lotion to treat lice infestations. How it works to reduce the blemishes and lesions of rosacea, however, is unknown. Soolantra is an expensive medication. Its generic version is also expensive, but there are many ways to significantly reduce the cost of either the brand-name or generic version.
Is Soolantra covered by insurance?
Although some health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid prescription drug plans cover Soolantra cream, it is not always readily approved. The insurance company may first require step therapy, which requires that other drugs be tried first.
How much does Soolantra cost without insurance?
Without insurance, Soolantra topical cream costs $845 for one tube. How long that lasts will depend on how much skin is affected and how well the application instructions are followed. The maximum daily dose, however, is one gram, so a 30-gram tube should last at least 30 days, if not longer. It’s safe to say that Soolantra treatment will cost $28 or less per day.
Insurance coverage could help lower the cost if the insurance company approves the Soolantra prescription. The out-of-pocket cost with insurance will vary depending on the insurance company’s formulary, copay cost, deductible, and coinsurance. Insurance plans that cover Soolantra generally put it in higher copay tiers, usually Tier 3. Plans that exclude Soolantra from their formulary will put it in the highest drug tier if they approve the prescription. The conclusion? Expect the price to be moderately high to high, even with insurance. However, people with commercial insurance who have a Galderma CareConnect savings card could pay as little as $0 for their monthly prescription.
If the cost of Soolantra is too high, a healthcare professional could prescribe generic ivermectin 1% cream instead. However, even generic ivermectin cream is expensive without insurance, so a healthcare provider may prescribe alternative topical prescription medications that specifically treat the inflammatory lesions of rosacea: topical antibiotics ( metronidazole, minocycline, or sulfacetamide-sulfur) or an antibacterial agent (azelaic acid). Oral antibiotics (doxycycline, tetracycline, or minocycline) are also good alternatives to Soolantra, but they can have more side effects and may provoke allergic reactions.
Many over-the-counter products, including topical medications, natural remedies, and dietary supplements, are sold as acne or rosacea treatments. It’s unlikely that a healthcare provider will prescribe an expensive medication like Soolantra if these treatments haven’t already been used and failed.
Compare Soolantra prices to related drugs |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Drug name | Price without insurance of brand-name drug | SingleCare price | Savings options |
| Soolantra | $845 for 1, 45 gm tube of Soolantra 1% cream | $549 for 1, 45 gm tube of Soolantra 1% cream | See updated prices |
| Metrogel (metronidazole) | $488 for 1, 60 gm tube of Metrogel 1% gel | $55 for 1, 60 gm tube of generic 1% metronidazole gel | See updated prices |
| Finacea | $525 for 1, 50 gm aerosol can of Finacea 15% foam | $43 for 1, 50 gm tube of generic 15% azelaic acid gel | See updated 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. 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 Soolantra without insurance
Though not a life-threatening medical condition, rosacea can have ruinous effects on quality of life. However, with a cash price exceeding $800 a month, Soolantra may be out of reach for many uninsured people. Manufacturer coupons or rebates might help, but they’re rare. However, Galderma, the Soolantra manufacturer, offers a patient assistance card called CareConnect which reduces the out-of-pocket cost for uninsured patients to about $60 for each tube of Soolantra. This may be the best option for saving money on Soolantra, but there are eligibility requirements. Some people may not qualify, including people on government-subsidized health plans such as Medicare or Medicaid. Fortunately, there are more certain ways to save money starting with a SingleCare discount card.
1. Use a SingleCare savings card to buy Soolantra
Save more than $300 on a tube of Soolantra with a SingleCare Soolantra coupon at participating pharmacies. Prescription savings may vary by pharmacy.
2. Use a SingleCare savings card to buy generic Soolantra
Save more than $800 off the retail price of Soolantra by purchasing generic 1% ivermectin cream with SingleCare’s discount program. Again, the discounts will differ by pharmacy, but not by much.
3. Get free Soolantra from the prescriber
A dermatologist is likely to have free samples of prescription medications like Soolantra. If not, they can be requested from the manufacturer. Meanwhile, this buys time to figure out how to buy the refills. The good news is that Soolantra typically starts showing results in about two weeks. Thus a free tube will help determine if the medicine is worth it.
4. Buy Soolantra at the lowest price available
Simply shopping for the lowest price at local pharmacies can reduce the cost of Soolantra by $150 off the average retail price. It can be purchased from an online mail-order pharmacy for as little as $580—that’s $265 less than the average retail price.
5. Or just try a different drug
Consider this: insurance companies typically make patients try one, two, three, or more cheaper prescription medications before they’ll approve a Soolantra prescription. Why? Because these other drugs can work. Before accepting a budget-busting prescription for Soolantra, ask the prescribing healthcare provider for medical advice about drugs that haven’t been tried yet. One of them may be an effective and affordable solution.
