How much is Dulera without insurance?

Is Dulera covered by insurance? | How much does Dulera cost without insurance? | How to get Dulera without insurance

Dulera is a brand-name prescription inhaler that controls the symptoms of asthma in adults and children five years of age and older. The FDA has approved its use as a daily maintenance treatment, not a rescue inhaler. The active ingredients include low-dose mometasone furoate, an inhaled corticosteroid, and formoterol, a long-acting bronchodilator. As a brand-name prescription medication, Dulera has a premium price. As a long-term daily treatment, the cost of Dulera can add up over the months. Fortunately, uninsured patients or their caregivers have several options for saving money.

What is the generic for Dulera?

Dulera is a premium-priced prescription inhaler with no equivalent generic version. Only mometasone can be purchased singly as a generic inhaler of the two active ingredients. Formoterol inhalers can only be purchased under the brand name Perforomist. However, formoterol is available in combination with budesonide as generic Symbicort.

Is Dulera covered by insurance?

Dulera is covered by some health insurance plans, Medicare Part D, and Medicaid but not all. Coverage can vary depending on the policy’s formulary. Before filling a prescription, call an insurance company representative to verify coverage. For people with coverage, the copay cost may be high. Most insurance companies place Dulera in their highest copay tiers. The final out-of-pocket cost may be more than the copay due to other factors such as deductibles, coinsurance, or coverage gap obligations.

How much does Dulera cost without insurance?

Without insurance coverage, a single 13-gram Dulera canister costs $460. That’s the average cash price. Each inhaler canister contains 120 actuations. At twice-daily dosing, that’s enough medicine to last 60 days if used correctly. This brings the average monthly cost closer to $230 and the daily expense to around $8. A year will cost about $2,700.

Are there lower-priced options? This may be a question to ask the prescriber or a pharmacist. Dulera combines an inhaled corticosteroid with a long-acting beta-agonist (LABA). They both work together to prevent and minimize asthma attacks. Other similar brand-name inhalers cost more than Dulera. However, healthcare providers can prescribe at least two generic inhalers combining a corticosteroid with a LABA: generic Advair Diskus (fluticasone-salmeterol) and generic Symbicort (budesonide-formoterol). These drugs may differ in effectiveness and adverse effects, so ask the prescriber for medical advice before switching.

Whether a brand-name or generic inhaler is purchased, substantial cost savings can be found by bringing a SingleCare prescription discount card to a participating pharmacy. With SingleCare, Dulera can be purchased for as little as $340 per 120-actuation canister. A 30-day supply of fluticasone-salmeterol can be purchased for around $90 using SingleCare.

RELATED: Dulera alternatives: What can I take instead of Dulera? 

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 Dulera without insurance

The annual cost of Dulera averages about $2,700 for people without insurance coverage. Even people with insurance may be denied coverage. There are options to save money, starting with manufacturer coupons or patient assistance programs. If these don’t work, there are still ways to bring the cost of Dulera down, starting with a SingleCare prescription discount card.

1. Use a SingleCare savings card

The lowest SingleCare discounted price for Dulera is $342 per inhaler canister, saving uninsured patients $700 per year. Visit SingleCare’s Dulera coupons page for a list of Dulera discounts at participating local pharmacies. 

2. Shop for the lowest price

By finding the lowest pharmacy price for Dulera, people without insurance can save almost $80 off the highest retail price. However, comparing prices between pharmacies is a time-consuming task. Instead, start with SingleCare’s average price history table for Dulera.

3. Ask the prescriber about lower-cost generic inhalers

Dulera contains two common asthma maintenance medications. Similar FDA-approved generic inhalers include fluticasone-salmeterol and budesonide-formoterol. With a free coupon from SingleCare, a 30-day supply of fluticasone-salmeterol can cost as little as $82 for uninsured patients. The lowest SingleCare price for a similar canister of budesonide-formoterol is $103. These other treatment options may differ in effectiveness and side effects. Discuss these and other concerns with a healthcare professional before switching.

4. Shop for health insurance

Conditions like asthma are chronic or lifelong medical conditions. They will require not only monthly prescriptions like Dulera but regular healthcare provider visits, testing, and occasional emergency room visits to treat asthma exacerbations. Health insurance may be the most affordable option when all costs are added. Start by adding up all medical costs for the year. Then, visit your state’s healthcare insurance marketplace to browse policy prices and out-of-pocket costs and compare the two.

5. Enroll in Medicaid or Medicare LIS

If health insurance is too costly, look into Medicaid health insurance or Medicare LIS. Out-of-pocket costs, including premiums, are minimal to zero. Eligibility is based on income, so visit your state’s Medicaid website for eligibility information, enrollment forms, and additional information.