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Is losartan covered by insurance? | How much does losartan cost without insurance? | How to get losartan without insurance
Losartan is a generic prescription drug primarily used to reduce high blood pressure. It is also FDA approved to treat diabetic kidney disease and to prevent stroke in people with both hypertension and heart problems. Losartan is a once-daily tablet taken for months or years, though doses will vary between 50 mg and 100 mg daily. Losartan is often prescribed with other medicines that reduce blood pressure. The brand name of losartan is Cozaar, which is more expensive than its generic counterpart. Although there are no over-the-counter alternatives, there are several ways to make a losartan prescription more affordable.
Is losartan covered by insurance?
Losartan is typically covered by commercial health insurance, Medicaid, Medicare Advantage, and Medicare Part D. People with a brand-name Cozaar prescription, though, may find their insurance plan only covers generic losartan. Losartan is typically classified as a Tier 1 drug, so it will have the lowest copay cost on many insurance plans. However, the actual out-of-pocket expense will depend on the plan’s deductible, coinsurance rules, and formulary.
How much does losartan cost without insurance?
People without insurance will pay an average cash price of $55 for 30, 50 mg tablets of generic losartan, which is a 30-day supply at the lowest dosage. For reference, brand-name Cozaar costs $148 per 30, 50 mg tablets. At full retail price, expect to pay about $660 per year for losartan treatment without insurance.
If the cost of losartan is too high, especially as a long-term treatment, people can ask their healthcare provider about more affordable prescription medications. Drugs like losartan are called angiotensin II receptor blockers, or ARBs, and work by widening blood vessels. All ARBs are comparably priced or more expensive than losartan.
There are less expensive types of blood pressure drugs than ARBs, but healthcare professionals prescribe blood pressure medications based on the patient’s medical situation rather than cost. One type of blood pressure drug cannot always substitute for another. People prescribed an ARB like losartan may have already tried lower-priced blood pressure medications. Still, it doesn’t hurt to get medical advice about less expensive alternatives to ARBs such as ACE inhibitors, thiazide diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers, alpha blockers, and others.
Compare losartan prices to other ARBs |
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|---|---|---|---|
| Drug name | Price without insurance of brand-name drug | SingleCare price | Savings options |
| Cozaar (losartan potassium) | $148 per 30, 50 mg tablets | $4 per 30, 50 mg tablets of generic Cozaar | See updated prices |
| Atacand (candesartan cilexetil) | $354 per 30, 32 mg tablets | $13 per 30, 16 mg tablets of generic Atacand | See updated prices |
| Avapro (irbesartan) | $313 per 30, 300 mg tablets | $3 per 30, 300 mg tablets of generic Avapro | See updated prices |
| Benicar (olmesartan medoxomil) | $303 per 30, 20 mg tablets | $5 per 30, 20 mg tablets of generic Benicar | See updated prices |
| Diovan (valsartan) | $312 per 30, 160 mg tablets | $17 per 30, 160 mg tablets of generic Diovan | See updated prices |
| Micardis (telmisartan) | $251 per 30, 80 mg tablets | $17 per 30, 40 mg tablets of generic Micardis | See updated prices |
| Edarbi (azilsartan) | $289 per 30, 80 mg tablets | $230 per 30, 80 mg tablets of brand-name Edarbi | See updated 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. The listed SingleCare price references the price of generic drugs if available. Click the link under “Savings options” to see updated drug prices.
How to get losartan without insurance
A price of $660 a year may be hard to manage over the long run. Before considering a switch in meds, know that it’s possible to reduce the cost of a losartan prescription to only a few dollars a month.
1. Use a SingleCare savings card
With a free coupon, the lowest SingleCare discount price for a 30-day supply of 50 mg losartan tablets is $6. A year of losartan treatment with SingleCare could cost as little as $72—a savings of nearly $600 a year. Download or print a free SingleCare discount card to save on losartan and thousands of other prescriptions.
2. Ask the prescriber for a 90-day prescription
At some pharmacies, filling a 90-day prescription for losartan may cost less than filling three 30-day prescriptions. Combine a 90-day prescription with a SingleCare discount for even greater savings. A 30-day supply of 50 mg tablets is $0.20 per tablet whereas a 90-day supply of 50 mg tablets is $0.10 per tablet with SingleCare.
3. Do some price shopping
Just like other retailers, some pharmacies charge lower prices for the same prescription. For a losartan prescription, finding the lowest price could save as much as $30 per fill. Enter your zip code on SingleCare to find local pharmacies and compare prices.
4. Look for a pharmacy that sells cheap generics
Some chain pharmacies sell commonly prescribed and essential generic drugs at a fixed low price for either 30-day or 90-day prescriptions no matter what a person’s insurance status. Most of these pharmacies include losartan on their budget generics list for only a few dollars per fill.
5. Check prices at online mail-order pharmacies
Online pharmacies are another great source of prescription savings on common generic drugs like losartan. Mail-order prescriptions are especially helpful for long-term treatments, like losartan, so you don’t have to visit the pharmacy every month. However, before ordering any prescription medicine online, do your homework first to make sure that the pharmacy is legitimate and trustworthy.
6. Visit a community health clinic or 340B provider
Essential generics can be found at public community health clinics or 340B providers either at an ultra-low cost or for free depending on the patient’s income. You can contact local health departments for a list of public health clinics and 340B clinics and hospitals.
7. Apply for Medicare Extra Help
If you have Medicare Part D, you may qualify for Medicare Extra Help. This low-income subsidy can reduce Part D premiums, deductibles, and copays for medications like losartan.
