Advair savings guide

In this article:

• How much does Advair Diskus cost?
• How much does Advair HFA cost?
• Does insurance cover Advair?
• How to save money on Advair Diskus and Advair HFA
• Is there a cheaper alternative to Advair?

In this article

• How much does Advair Diskus cost?
• How much does Advair HFA cost?
• Does insurance cover Advair?
• How to save money on Advair Diskus and Advair HFA
• Is there a cheaper alternative to Advair?

For many people with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), breathing easily can depend on their bronchodilator medication. Advair comes in two forms: Advair Diskus and Advair HFA. Both contain the same active ingredients, fluticasone propionate and salmeterol, but differ in how they’re delivered and who they’re best for. Advair Diskus is a dry powder inhaler, and Advair HFA is an inhaler that delivers a metered dose. For those paying out-of-pocket, Advair’s cost can be considerable: more than $500 per fill without insurance on average. Thankfully, there are several ways to save. 

How much does Advair Diskus cost?

On average, the cost of Advair Diskus without insurance is $510 for 1, 60-dose breath-activated inhaler. Prices fluctuate and vary by pharmacy and location. 

How much does Advair HFA cost?

Advair HFA costs $527 for 1, 12 gm, 115/21 mg/ACT inhaler without insurance. Again, prices fluctuate and vary by pharmacy and location. 

Does insurance cover Advair?

Advair coverage varies by insurance plan. Advair is a brand-name medication, and insurance companies are more likely to cover the generic versions when they’re available. For example, the Veterans Affairs (VA) health benefits cover generic fluticasone-salmeterol but not brand-name Advair. There’s also a trademark generic version of Advair Diskus, called Wixela Inhub, that may be more likely to be covered than Advair Diskus.

That doesn’t mean that Advair isn’t covered by certain insurance plans. Even if it’s not listed in the formulary, an insurance plan’s list of covered drugs, Advair may be covered if it’s medically necessary. That could mean working with your healthcare provider to provide documentation about your medical history and how Advair is needed for your treatment. For example, some Cigna insurance plans cover Advair Diskus if someone has already tried the generic versions and they meet certain health criteria. 

Medicaid and Medicare coverage for Advair varies. Some states’ Medicaid plans may offer Advair coverage. For example, Advair Diskus and Advair HFA are on the preferred drug list for New York State Medicaid plans in 2025. However, the Medicare plans we researched cover generic Advair but not the brand-name medication. For example, some Aetna, UnitedHealthcare, and Humana Medicare Part D formularies don’t include Advair. Insurance companies can change which medications are preferred at any time. It is best to look online for an updated preference list with your insurance company.  

How to save money on Advair Diskus and Advair HFA

If your insurance plan doesn’t cover or fully cover Advair Diskus or Advair HFA, there are other ways to save. 

1. Free Advair coupons

You can use a free SingleCare coupon to get a discount on your Advair Diskus or Advair HFA prescription. With a SingleCare Advair Diskus coupon, you could pay $193 for 1, 60-dose of 250-50 mcg/ACT powder breath-activated inhaler. That’s a savings of $317. You can save even more by choosing generic fluticasone-salmeterol or Wixela Inhub, which both cost an average of $50 for the same dose.

With a SingleCare coupon for Advair HFA, you could pay $314 instead of $527 for 1, 12 g of 115-21 mcg/ACT inhaler. If you opt for the generic version of Advair HFA, you could pay as low as $260 with a SingleCare coupon. 

SingleCare coupons are easy to use. You can get one through the SingleCare app or by searching for Advair on SingleCare’s website and selecting your pharmacy. Then, show them to the pharmacy staff when you pick up your prescription. The discount is applied at checkout. 

2. Medicare or Medicaid  

If you have Medicare or Medicaid coverage, you may be able to save significantly on your Advair prescription. People enrolled in Medicare Part D may qualify for the low-income subsidy, also known as Medicare Extra Help, which helps cover the cost of prescription drugs. Some individuals are automatically enrolled, while others may need to apply through the Social Security Administration’s website.

With Medicare Extra Help, brand-name medications like Advair cost no more than $12.15 at participating pharmacies in 2025.

Though not many Medicare Part D plans cover brand-name Advair, some state Medicaid programs might. For example, New York Medicaid includes Advair on its formulary, which can lower the cost for eligible residents.

Some states also offer State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAPs) that can help lower prescription costs for those with Medicare or Medicaid. 

Because copays and out-of-pocket costs can vary depending on your specific plan, it’s a good idea to contact your insurance provider directly to get personalized information about your Advair coverage.

3. Manufacturer coupons

Advair’s manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), offers a GSK Copay Card Program for eligible individuals. Eligible individuals can get an Advair discount card to use at participating pharmacies to get Advair Diskus or Advair HFA for no more than $35. There are specific eligibility requirements, however. For example, you must:

• Have commercial private insurance or are uninsured and not receiving benefits from Medicaid, Medicare Part D, Medigap VA, Department of Defense, Tricare, or other government health programs
• Be a resident of the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, or the U.S. Virgin Islands
• Be at least 18 years old with a valid prescription for Advair

The Advair discount cards are valid through Dec. 31, 2025. 

GSK also offers a Patient Access Program (PAP) for some of its medications, but Advair is not one of them. This program is for people who have low income and are uninsured or have Medicare. 

Is there a cheaper alternative to Advair?

Advair is one of many medications that could be prescribed for people with asthma or COPD. Alternatives to Advair include its generic forms, drugs from the same class, and drugs from other classes, such as leukotriene receptor antagonists. Healthcare providers can prescribe an individualized treatment regimen that might require more than one respiratory medication, according to Joao Lopes, MD, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Case Western Reserve University. 

“It involves a deep comprehension of the severity of the asthma (and its impacts on the ability to breathe) and how well controlled it has been, regardless of severity,” Dr. Lopes says. “Some patients who require high use or high doses of the inhalers, or do not get better despite those, need to go on medications called biologics, injectable medications that help control their asthma,” he says.

Kara Wada, MD, founder and physician at the Immune Confident Institute, explains that when prioritizing affordability, healthcare providers may explore generics first. “Wixela is a direct generic equivalent to Advair Diskus, offering the same active ingredients at a significantly lower cost,” she says. 

Advair combines fluticasone propionate, an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS), with salmeterol, a long-acting beta agonist (LABA). Medications like Symbicort (budesonide-formoterol), its generic version Breyna, and Breo Ellipta (fluticasone furoate-vilanterol) have similar combinations of ICS and LABA active ingredients. 

According to Dr. Wada, sometimes healthcare providers may prescribe short-acting bronchodilators, also known as rescue inhalers, for people with intermittent symptoms or mild asthma. Albuterol HFA is an example of a short-acting beta agonist (SABA), which can cost as low as $21 for 1,200 doses of 8.5 g of 90 mcg/ACT inhaler with a free SingleCare coupon. 

Bottom line

If you’re concerned about the cost of Advair or wondering whether another medication might be right for you, talk to your healthcare provider. They can help guide you toward the most effective and affordable treatment for your condition. “We always work with the patient to get them the best medication that can help them if covered, including going frequently through processes of prior authorization and additional discussion with insurance [companies] to get those approved,” Dr. Lopes says.