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Key takeaways
As a specialty drug, Forteo can be expensive without insurance or coupons, costing over $5,100 per month.
Most commercial insurance plans cover Forteo for people with severe osteoporosis, but coverage varies by plan, and copays and coinsurance may be higher for Forteo than for other drugs.
Although there is a generic formulation of Forteo, it is fairly new and some generic versions may be more expensive than the brand-name product without insurance or coupons.
Forteo is a brand-name prescription drug FDA-approved to treat osteoporosis. Its active ingredient, teriparatide, mimics a hormone produced by the parathyroid gland that’s responsible for regulating calcium levels and bone metabolism. In this way, Forteo can increase bone mass in people with severe osteoporosis, including postmenopausal women and men with low testosterone. Forteo is also available as a generic drug. However, without insurance, both the brand-name and generic forms of Forteo are costly, averaging around $5,146 for 1, 2.24 mL injectable pen (a 28-day supply). Here are some ways to save money on Forteo without insurance.
How much does Forteo cost without insurance?
Without insurance, brand-name Forteo costs an average of $5,146 for 1, 2.24 mL injectable pen, which is equal to a 28-day supply. That means you could spend as much as $61,752 per year paying for Forteo without any assistance. Your exact out-of-pocket expense will vary based on where you fill your prescription and whether you are prescribed the standard dosage by your provider or not.
How much does generic Forteo cost?
Forteo is available in a generic form under its active ingredient, teriparatide. Generic teriparatide pricing may vary, with some manufacturers charging less than the brand name, and some charging a similar amount or even slightly more.
With insurance coverage, your copay or out-of-pocket costs may be much less with generic teriparatide than brand-name Forteo, since insurance companies usually prefer generic equivalents and will pay a much bigger percentage of the cost, according to Joanna Lewis, Pharm.D., founder of The Pharmacist’s Guide.. However, you should always check with your insurance provider and ask about the details of your individual plan to figure out whether the brand-name or generic version will be more affordable for you.
Compare Forteo prices to related drugs |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Drug name | Price without insurance | SingleCare price | Savings options |
| Forteo | $5,146 for 1, 2.24 mL injectable pen | $4,165 for 1, 2.24 mL injectable pen of brand-name Forteo | See latest prices |
| Teriparatide (generic Forteo) | $5,603 for 1, 2.24 mL injectable pen | $1,911 for 1, 2.24 mL injectable pen | See latest prices |
| Fosamax | $560 for 3, 4 tablet boxes (3-month supply) | $9 for 3, 4 tablet boxes of generic alendronate (3-month supply) | See latest prices |
| Alendronate sodium (generic Fosamax) | $155 for 3, 4 tablet boxes (3-month supply) | $9 for 3, 4 tablet boxes (3-month supply) | See latest prices |
| Ibandronate | $462 for 3, 150 mg tablets (3-month supply) | $29 for 3, 150 mg tablets (3-month supply) | 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.
Is Forteo covered by insurance?
Most commercial insurance plans cover Forteo for people with severe osteoporosis, but coverage will vary based on your specific plan. Dr. Lewis says most Medicare Part D plans cover Forteo as well, but it’s worth noting that all insurance providers (including Medicare) may have requirements you need to meet first before they agree to cover the drug, such as prior authorization or proof that other treatments were ineffective or not tolerated. For example, some providers require that you try first-line treatments like generic Reclast or generic Fosamax before they will approve you for Forteo.
Finally, Forteo is a specialty drug—the highest drug tier—so your insurance company may require you to get it from specialty pharmacies, which could possibly increase your cost if you need the drug shipped to you.
How to get Forteo without insurance
Forteo is far more expensive than many other prescription medications, so paying for it out-of-pocket isn’t feasible for most people. As we’ve noted, the average monthly cost of Forteo without insurance is about $5,146, which amounts to well over $60,000 per year. Eli Lilly, the manufacturer of Forteo, does offer a savings card and a patient assistance program, but these discounts aren’t available to everyone prescribed Forteo. Here are some other ways to save money on your prescription without insurance coverage.
1. Use a SingleCare discount card
A SingleCare Prescription Discount Card can help pay for your Forteo prescription, saving you about $3,500 per month on generic teriparatide. You can access these savings by going to a participating pharmacy and asking the pharmacy staff to calculate your total cost using your discount card.
2. Compare pharmacy prices
The price of Forteo and generic teriparatide may vary by pharmacy, even if you’re using a SingleCare discount card. You can use the SingleCare website to compare prices at different pharmacies and find the cheapest price on Forteo near you.
3. Switch to a similar drug
We normally recommend asking about the generic version of a drug to save money, but pricing for generic forms of Forteo can vary, so check with your pharmacy to see whether brand-name Forteo or the generic version is more affordable. There are other similar drugs and Forteo alternatives you may be able to take if you can’t afford your brand-name prescription.
You can save a significant amount of money on osteoporosis medications by using your SingleCare prescription discount card. Talk to your healthcare provider about other options covered under your insurance plan, or other drugs with a lower retail price than Forteo.
- Denosumab injection, MedlinePlus (2025)
- Pharmacological management of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women: An Endocrine Society* clinical practice guideline, The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2019)
- Forteo, DailyMed (2024)
- Teriparatide injection, MedlinePlus (2021)