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Key takeaways
Symbicort, used to treat COPD and asthma, can be expensive without insurance, averaging $500 per inhaler for those uninsured.
Savings on Symbicort can be found through SingleCare coupons, reducing the cost to approximately $262 for one inhaler.
Government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, along with AstraZeneca’s prescription savings program, offer financial assistance to eligible individuals.
Cheaper alternatives to Symbicort, including generic versions and other brand-name medications, may be recommended by healthcare providers to help reduce costs.
How much does Symbicort cost? | Free Symbicort | Symbicort savings | Cheaper alternatives to Symbicort
Symbicort, made of budesonide and formoterol, is an inhaler used to treat patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and asthma.
“Symbicort is made up of budesonide, an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) that reduces inflammation in the lungs and airways, and formoterol, which is a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA) that works long-term to decrease wheezing and breathing trouble,” says Lindsey Hudson, APRN, NP-C, a nurse practitioner who is a member of the SingleCare Medical Review Board. “Symbicort is prescribed to help treat and reduce COPD exacerbations as well as treating asthma patients who need more than just an inhaled corticosteroid.”
The cost of Symbicort prescriptions can quickly add up without good insurance or none at all. Here at SingleCare, we want to help you save. Read on for our money-saving tips.
RELATED: Symbicort side effects and how to avoid them
How much does Symbicort cost?
If you do not have insurance, the average retail price of Symbicort without insurance is $500 for one10.2 gm inhaler of 160-4.5 mcg/act aerosol.
If you do have insurance, the cost of Symbicort will vary across plans. The drug manufacturer has provided the following copay estimates:
- The average cost of Symbicort with employer-sponsored or individual private policies is $33 per month.
- The average cost of Symbicort with Medicare Advantage or Part D is $31 per month.
- The average cost of Symbicort with Medicaid is $1 to $2 per month, depending on the state.
There are many factors that affect drug pricing. Your insurance plan, its drug formulary, the coverage stage you’re in, the quantity and strength of Symbicort you need, and the pharmacy at which you fill your prescription can all affect the price of Symbicort.
RELATED: Does SingleCare work with Medicare? | Does SingleCare work with Medicaid?
Can I get Symbicort for free?
Currently, there are no opportunities that offer free Symbicort. People getting their Symbicort prescription for free with no out-of-pocket costs are likely individuals with a great insurance plan or those on certain Medicare or Medicaid plans.
How to save on Symbicort
If you’re uninsured or are looking for ways to save on top of your insurance coverage, we have some options for you.
1. Free Symbicort coupons
Anytime you’re searching for prescription discounts, SingleCare is always an option you can use. To use SingleCare, simply look up the prescription you want to save on, enter your zip code, and select your dosage information to compare discounts at participating pharmacies.
For Symbicort without insurance, you’d pay $500 for one 10.2 gm inhaler of 160-4.5mcg/act aerosol, but you can use a Symbicort savings card from SingleCare and pay $262 for the same dosage. Be aware that SingleCare prices vary by quantity, strength, form, and pharmacy.
RELATED: Get your free SingleCare discount card
2. Government assistance programs
Medicare and Medicaid are the two main government assistance programs. If you’re 65 years and older or have certain disabilities, you may meet the eligibility requirements for Medicare and along with it, Medicare Part D prescription coverage. See if you’re eligible for Medicare enrollment here. Additionally, you may qualify for Medicare Extra Help, which can reduce prescription costs even more.
If you earn an income below a certain threshold, you may qualify for Medicaid, which will allow you to get your prescriptions at a reduced cost. Qualifications for Medicaid vary by state, but you can see if you’re eligible here.
3. AstraZeneca prescription savings program
Symbicort is made by AstraZeneca, which offers AZ&ME, a prescription savings discount program. Individuals with no insurance or Medicare Part D may be eligible for this savings program. You’ll need to make a certain income or lower to qualify for their patient assistance program and receive a manufacturer coupon. To see if you’re eligible for prescription assistance, you’ll need to visit their website and provide your medication, your prescription drug coverage information (if you have any), and your household income.
4. Check different pharmacies
The cost of most prescriptions, like Symbicort, depends on the price set by the pharmacy. If you only pick up your medication from one pharmacy, shop around and see if any local pharmacies have lower prices on your Symbicort prescription.
Use SingleCare’s website or app to find the pharmacy near you with the lowest price for Symbicort. Can’t leave the house? SingleCare also offers mail-order Symbicort, so your prescription is delivered right to your front door. Find out here if using a mail order pharmacy is the right choice for you.
RELATED: Find a pharmacy near you
5. Get health insurance or switch to a better plan
If you do not have health insurance because the cost of a plan is too high, you may want to compare it to the out-of-pocket costs of Symbicort. At $500 per inhaler, the cost of health insurance may be worth it. You’ll need to compare your budget to the new health insurance plan costs versus what you’d pay on medical expenses without insurance to see if this provides you with cost savings.
If you do have health insurance, but your Symbicort copay is still too high, consider switching plans during the next enrollment period. You’ll want to look for an insurance plan that includes Symbicort as a low-tier drug on its drug formulary. This will ensure your Symbicort copay with insurance is as low as possible. Also, consider the cost of monthly premiums and how high the annual deductible is when choosing a new insurance plan. Visit healthcare.gov to see what insurance plans are available to you.
RELATED: How to get health insurance
6. Talk to your healthcare provider
If the cost of Symbicort is causing financial trouble, talk to your prescriber or pharmacist to see if there are cheaper Symbicort alternatives that may work for you. Below we will go over what may be recommended.
Is there a cheaper alternative to Symbicort?
In early 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a generic version of Symbicort called Breyna. Generic Symbicort is expected to be available for sale this year. Ask your pharmacist if it’s available to you. Generic versions, in general, are much more affordable than brand-name drugs.
Finding a Symbicort alternative will depend on if you’re using Symbicort to treat asthma or COPD. Many COPD treatments will also treat asthma, but there are many asthma medications that only treat asthma and not COPD. Always seek medical advice from your prescriber when considering switching to a Symbicort alternative.
Compare prices of Symbicort alternatives |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug name | Use | Price without insurance | SingleCare price | Coupons |
| Symbicort (budesonide / formoterol) | COPD and asthma | $500 per 1 inhaler of 10.2 gm of 160-4.5 mcg/act aerosol of brand-name Symbicort | $262 per 1 inhaler of 10.2 gm of 160-4.5 mcg/act aerosol of brand-name Symbicort | Symbicort coupons |
| Advair Diskus (fluticasone / salmeterol) | COPD and asthma | $525 per 1, 60 aerosol powder breath-activated blister pack of brand-name Advair Diskus | $86 per 1, 60 aerosol powder breath-activated blister pack of generic Advair Diskus | Advair Diskus coupons |
| Breo Ellipta (fluticasone furoate / vilanterol) | COPD and asthma | $178 per 1 inhaler of 28 blisters of 100 mcg/25 mcg of brand-name Breo Ellipta | $150 per 1 inhaler of 28 blisters of 100 mcg/25 mcg of brand-name Breo Ellipta | Breo Ellipta coupons |
| Advair HFA (fluticasone / salmeterol) | Asthma | $545 per 1 inhaler of 12 gm of 115-21 mcg/act aerosol of brand-name Advair HFA | $256 per 1 inhaler of 12 gm of 115-21 mcg/act aerosol of brand-name Advair HFA | Advair HFA coupons |
| Asmanex HFA (mometasone furoate) | Asthma | $263 per 1 inhaler of 13 gm of 100 mcg/act aerosol of brand-name Asmanex | $204 per 1 inhaler of 13 gm of 100 mcg/act aerosol of brand-name Asmanex | Asmanex HFA coupons |
| Flovent HFA (fluticasone) | Asthma | $360 per 1 inhaler of 12 gm of 11 mcg of brand-name Flovent | $235 per 1 inhaler of 12 gm of 11 mcg of brand-name Flovent | Flovent HFA coupons |
| Dulera (mometasone furoate) | Asthma | $417 per 1 inhaler of 13 gm of 200-5 mcg/act of brand-name Dulera | $330 per 1 inhaler of 13 gm of 200-5 mcg/act of brand-name Dulera | Dulera coupons |
| Pulmicort Flexhaler (budesonide) | Asthma | $345 per 1 inhaler of brand-name Pulmicort Flexhaler | $211 per 1 inhaler of brand-name Pulmicort Flexhaler | Pulmicort Flexhaler coupons |
| Qvar Redihaler (beclomethasone dipropionate) | Asthma | $358 per 1 inhaler of 10.6 gm of 80 mcg/act aerosol of brand-name Qvar Redihaler | $218 per 1 inhaler of 10.6 gm of 80 mcg/act aerosol of brand-name Qvar Redihaler | Qvar Redihaler coupons |
| Breztri Aerosphere (budesonide / glycopyrrolate / formoterol fumarate) | COPD | $798 per 1 inhaler of 10.7 gm of 160-9-4.8 mcg/act aerosol of brand-name Breztri Aerosphere | $524 per 1 inhaler of 10.7 gm of 160-9-4.8 mcg/act aerosol of brand-name Breztri Aerosphere | Breztri Aerosphere coupons |
Prescription drug prices often change. These are the most accurate medication prices at the time of publishing.
If you choose to switch the treatment option for your COPD and/or asthma after talking to a healthcare professional, be sure to check on SingleCare to see how much you can save on your new prescription.