How much is Gralise (gabapentin) without insurance?

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

Gralise is a brand-name prescription drug used to treat nerve pain due to shingles, a skin condition caused by the herpes virus. This nerve pain, called postherpetic neuralgia, or PHN, is a common complication of shingles. The burning, stabbing skin pain can last for months, years, or a lifetime after all the other symptoms of shingles go away. As an extended-release drug, Gralise oral tablets are taken only once per day with the evening meal. The active ingredient in Gralise is gabapentin, an anticonvulsant that prevents certain types of nerve pain by slowing down nerve impulses. Gabapentin is a widely prescribed generic drug, but there is no other extended-release version of gabapentin. Unfortunately, that means Gralise has a premium price, but some tips can help reduce the cost.

What is the brand generic for Gralise?

Gabapentin ER, the active ingredient in Gralise, is not available in a generic version. It is also the active ingredient in brand-name Horizant which is taken once or twice a day, and generic options are also not available. Only immediate-release gabapentin is widely available and FDA-approved to treat shingles skin pain as a generic option. However, instead of one dose per day, generic gabapentin capsules will need to be taken three times a day. 

Is Gralise covered by insurance?

Only some health insurance plans offered by HealthNet, Aetna, and Blue Shield offer Gralise coverage. Many are premium plans and impose restrictions such as prior authorization. Some Medicare plans, such as Express Scripts, may offer Gralise coverage, but others, such as Humana, do not. A few Medicaid plans, HealthPartners for example, will cover Gralise, but many leave the cost as your responsibility with no reimbursement options. Because many plans decline coverage for Gralise, make sure to call a representative of the insurance company before filling a Gralise prescription. Copay costs may be high, but the manufacturer offers a copay card for people who meet the eligibility requirements.

How much does Gralise cost without insurance?

Without insurance, the average cash price for 90, 600 mg oral tablets of Gralise is $1,440. With once-daily dosing, that’s a 90-day supply. So a month of Gralise treatment costs about $480, or $16 a day. Shingles pain is a long-lasting medical condition that can last for years. At full retail price, a year of Gralise therapy costs $5,760.

If health insurance is lacking, ask the prescribing healthcare provider about generic gabapentin or a similar antiepileptic drug, pregabalin. Both work the same way as Gralise and are FDA-approved to relieve shingles skin pain. However, they can only be purchased as immediate-release drugs and need to be taken three times a day. If doses are missed, people may not get the pain relief they need. At $150 for a 30-day supply, generic gabapentin could save as much as $4,000 a year and remains a great cost-saving alternative. 

Both gabapentin and pregabalin are epilepsy drugs. Luckily, there are many treatment options for shingles pain. Because these treatments have had varied success, some options may not only cost less than Gralise, but they may also work better. In addition to gabapentin and pregabalin, the most successful treatments for shingles pain are lidocaine patches and tricyclic antidepressants such as amitriptyline. If these are not successful at adequate pain relief, a healthcare professional may prescribe opioids or other types of drugs.

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 Gralise (gabapentin) without insurance

At $5,760 a year, Gralise treatment can be a significant budget item if health insurance coverage is not available. There are copay assistance saving cards still available, but only for commercial insurance (does not apply to federal programs such as Medicare or Medicaid). Since the manufacturer does not offer any other patient assistance programs, those traditional avenues for savings are closed. However, there are still better options, starting with a SingleCare prescription discount card.

1. Use a SingleCare Gralise savings card

The first place to save on prescription medications is SingleCare. The lowest SingleCare Gralise discount price is $665 for a 90-day supply. That’s $500 off the average retail price, saving $2,000 a year. Discounted prices will vary by participating pharmacies. Visit SingleCare’s Gralise coupon page to browse discount prices at local pharmacies. Make sure to read the FAQs section on this page to discover other Gralise savings and drug information.

2. Shop for the lowest price

Since pharmacies charge different retail prices for the same prescriptions, one proven way to find savings is to shop for the best price. The highest retail price for Gralise may be as much as $160 more than the lowest price. That adds up to over $600 a year in savings.

3. Consider health insurance

Shingles pain can go on for years, even a lifetime. Standard treatments are not always successful. More expensive treatments, such as Botox injections, may be required to provide relief. For some people with chronic shingles pain, health insurance may be the cheapest alternative in the long run. Talk to an agent first to make sure the best-priced plans cover all necessary prescriptions.

4. Ask the prescribing healthcare provider about generic Gralise

Gabapentin (generic Neurontin) and pregabalin (generic Lyrica) are very similar to Gralise. If doses are taken as instructed, they should be as effective as Gralise at controlling shingles skin pain. With a SingleCare discount card, a 30-day supply of gabapentin or pregabalin can cost as little as $5 or $10, less than $100 per year.

5. Ask for medical advice about other treatment options

Although gabapentin is typically the first drug prescribed to someone with shingles skin pain, other treatments may also be effective and less expensive than Gralise. Lidocaine patches are considered a successful treatment. Since they’re applied to the skin, they have fewer side effects than gabapentin, such as drowsiness, depression, and weight changes- to name a few. An additional pro when considering the patch is that they’re safer for people with kidney problems. Tricyclic antidepressants are also a low-priced first-line treatment option when Gralise is unavailable for shingles skin pain.