Key takeaways
Some Aetna insurance plans might cover Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion), but it’s typically a non-preferred option that requires prior authorization or a formulary exception.
Aetna Medicare plans don’t usually cover Contrave when it’s prescribed solely for weight loss, while Medicaid coverage varies by state.
Without insurance coverage, Contrave can cost over $800 per month, but there are other ways to save, like SingleCare discounts and patient assistance programs.
Some Aetna commercial plans may cover Contrave, but it’ll typically be on a non-preferred tier, which means it’ll cost more than generics or other alternatives. It’ll also likely need prior authorization, or documentation from your healthcare provider that it’s medically necessary, before it’s covered. Aetna Medicare plans and most state Medicaid plans won’t cover Contrave or other weight-loss drugs, so whether you get coverage depends on which Aetna plan you have and whether your healthcare provider can document why Contrave is right for you.
Does Aetna cover Contrave?
Sometimes, but not always. “Insurance coverage for Contrave depends entirely on each individual patient’s insurance plan,” says Dr. Jennifer Brown, MD, a medical writer for MyObesityTeam. “Medicare and most state Medicaid plans don’t cover any weight loss medications, including Contrave.” So, it’s not incredibly likely that any specific Aetna plan will cover Contrave, but it’s not impossible either. Some plans will, in fact, provide coverage. It’s all based on a few different variables.
Formulary
Every insurance plan has a long document that shows how it covers each prescription medicine, called a formulary. Aetna plans will typically classify drugs into multiple tiers, including generic, preferred brand, non-preferred brand, preferred specialty, non-preferred specialty, and non-formulary. The plan is likely to cover generic and preferred drugs, but not non-formulary drugs.
Aetna’s many fo documents show that Contrave (when it’s listed) often falls under non-preferred brands. Just because it’s non-preferred doesn’t mean it’ll never be covered. It might just take some extra steps, or the coverage might not be as comprehensive as for a preferred or generic drug.
Medical Condition
Contrave is FDA-approved for weight management in people with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30, or a BMI of more than 27 with another weight-related condition, like high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, or high cholesterol. Even if your plan covers Contrave, if you don’t meet that criterion, you might not get coverage.
Prior Authorization
Some Aetna formularies note that they require prior authorization for certain drugs, including Contrave. This is typically how they determine that a non-preferred brand is, in fact, more medically necessary than a generic or preferred brand. “Insurance plans that cover Contrave usually require a prior authorization form to be completed by the prescribing physician,” Dr. Brown says. “Some insurance plans require the patient to try losing weight through a physician-supervised weight loss program before they will cover Contrave.”
The Aetna plans that list Contrave as a non-preferred brand also typically require prior authorization. The requirements can vary based on the plan, but they’ll typically require additional documentation from a qualified healthcare provider.
Medicare and Medicaid
If you have an Aetna Medicare Part D or Medicare Advantage plan, Contrave isn’t typically covered. That’s because Medicare plans are restricted by federal law from covering weight-loss drugs in general. Medicaid coverage varies by state, but most state Medicaid programs (including those administered by Aetna Better Health) also exclude weight-loss drugs like Contrave. If you’re not sure about our specific plan, contact your insurance company directly for more information.
How to get approved for Contrave
The first step is to check the Aetna plan’s formulary to see if it includes Contrave. If so, you could potentially receive coverage, depending on your medical profile and any prior authorization requirements. Then, schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider. After a physical exam, they can tell you whether they think Contrave would be a good fit for you and write you a prescription.
Here’s where it could get complicated. If your health insurance company requires prior authorization, you and your medical provider will need to take some other steps before you can receive coverage. Sometimes, it’s as simple as the provider sending documentation of your symptoms, adverse reactions to other weight loss medications, or your progress on a diet and exercise plan. Other times, you might need to try a different drug first, and if that fails, you can move on to Contrave, a process called step therapy.
And you haven’t already been on a diet and exercise plan, some plans might require you to try that for a certain number of months before they’ll approve a weight loss drug. Regardless of the requirements, your healthcare provider is your ally in the process and can help you navigate it and achieve your weight-loss goals.
How much does Contrave cost?
For people paying completely out of pocket, or whose insurance plan won’t cover Contrave, the drug can cost around $839 for 120, 8–90 mg tablets. That’s a 30-day supply, so those costs can add up to over $10,000 annually. Contrave’s website says that if you have insurance coverage, your copay could be as low as $20 per month. But again, this depends on the plan. If your insurance policy classifies Contrave as a non-preferred drug, you might have to pay more.
There’s currently no FDA-approved generic version of Contrave available in the U.S., so brand-name Contrave is the only option.
Save up to 80% on Contrave with SingleCare Different pharmacies offer different prices for the same medication. SingleCare helps find the best price for you.
How to check whether your Aetna plan covers Contrave
“The best way for patients to determine if Contrave is covered by their insurance plan is to either check their insurance drug formulary or have their healthcare provider send a prescription for Contrave to the pharmacy for a coverage check,” Dr. Brown says.
Your formulary will tell you whether your plan considers Contrave a preferred brand, a non-preferred brand, or a non-formulary drug. Fortunately, Aetna has a page where you can access the formulary for any of its plans. On this page, select the applicable year and plan from the dropdown boxes, and it’ll provide a link to your plan details.
Then, you can either click the “Find Medicine” button to search for Contrave by name, or you can click a link to a PDF of the plan’s formulary and scroll down to find Contrave. Either way, the formulary should also tell you whether the plan has any prior authorization requirements or quantity limits.
If you have an account on the Aetna website, you can also log in to find details about your plan. Or, if you’d rather speak with a person, you can call the number on your ID card to reach member support.
What to do if insurance won’t cover Contrave
Aetna may deny coverage, but you still have options before you start paying the full retail price out of pocket.
- Appeal the decision. Your healthcare provider can file an appeal and submit further documentation that shows why Contrave is the best option based on factors like your BMI trends, your overall medical history, or other treatments you’ve tried.
- Ask about an alternative that’s covered. If Aetna doesn’t cover Contrave, your formulary may include other weight-loss drugs like Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate), Wegovy (semaglutide), or Saxenda (liraglutide), which your healthcare provider may recommend.
How to save on Contrave
The prices for Contrave might look intimidating if you’re paying entirely out of pocket, but there are still ways to save, even if your plan doesn’t offer coverage. For example, you can get free coupons from SingleCare, which can drop the cost from $839 to as low as $613 at participating pharmacies. Signing up is free, and over 35,000 partner pharmacies nationwide accept the coupons. Just present your SingleCare card at a participating local pharmacy and you’ll reap the discount.
Contrave’s manufacturer also offers a savings card that could lower your copay if you have insurance. They also have a patient assistance program (CurAccess) that can lower costs by providing free home delivery to eligible patients. If you can, ask your healthcare provider for other savings options they might know about to help reduce costs.
The SingleCare prices in this article are the most accurate at the time of publishing in ZIP code 23666 as of Jun. 3, 2026. Prices vary by pharmacy. Visit our coupon page for updated drug prices at pharmacies near you.
- How long do people stick to a diet resolution? A digital epidemiological estimation of weight loss diet persistence, Public Health Nutrition (2020)
- What is a formulary?, HealthInsurance.org
- Understanding Drug Tiers, Patient Advocate Foundation
- Contrave highlights of prescribing information, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2025)
- Prior authorization: What is it, when might you need it, and how do you get it?, Harvard Health (2024)
- Save on Contrave, Contrave.com (2026)
- Find out if your medicine is covered, Aetna (2026)
- 2026 Aetna pharmacy drug guide (Standard plan), Aetna (2026)
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