Tresiba savings guide

In this article:

• How much does Tresiba cost?
• Is Tresiba covered by insurance?
• How to save money on Tresiba
• Is there a cheaper alternative to Tresiba?

In this article

• How much does Tresiba cost?
• Is Tresiba covered by insurance?
• How to save money on Tresiba
• Is there a cheaper alternative to Tresiba?

For some, managing diabetes often means relying on daily insulin injections, which may mean using a long-acting option like Tresiba (insulin degludec). Tresiba is a once-daily, long-acting insulin used to help control blood sugar levels in people with Type 1 or Type 2 diabetes, including both adults and children 1 year and older. It’s often prescribed along with short-acting insulin medication. However, blood sugar control with Tresiba can become a high financial burden without insurance or discounts. 

How much does Tresiba cost?

The cost of Tresiba depends on its dosage form. Tresiba is available as a vial and an autoinjector pen. 

The average retail price for Tresiba in vial form is $477 for a 10 mL 100 unit/mL vial. The average retail price of Tresiba Flextouch is $146 for a 3 mL 100 unit/mL autoinjector pen. Tresiba Flextouch is also available as a 200 unit/mL autoinjector pen. The actual cost you pay will vary by the form, dose, where you get your prescription from, and whether you use your insurance coverage or discounts to help pay for the medication.

Is Tresiba covered by insurance?

According to the drug’s manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, Tresiba is covered by most major health insurance plans, including Medicare and Medicaid. Some commercial insurance plans, including some Optum Rx 2025 plans, cover Tresiba vials and Tresiba Flextouch autoinjector pens as a Tier 1 medication, even though it is a brand-name drug. Tier 1 medications typically have the lowest out-of-pocket costs. 

In some 2025 Kaiser Permanente plans, Tresiba is covered as a Tier 3 medication, or a non-preferred drug. That means that even if the insurance plan provides coverage for the drug, you may pay more for Tresiba compared to Tier 1 or 2 drugs. 

Novo Nordisk states that Tresiba is covered by most Medicare plans. For example, some Blue MedicareRx plans cover Tresiba vials and Flextouch autoinjector pens as Tier 3 medications, called preferred brand-name drugs, in the formulary. Under these plans, Tier 3 medications could cost between $30 and $60 out of pocket, depending on the quantity and pharmacy. However, since Tresiba is an insulin, the cost of insulin prescriptions is limited to $35 or less per month if you have Medicare Part D coverage.

Medicaid plans usually offer coverage for Tresiba vials and Tresiba Flextouch autoinjector pens. For example, California’s Medi-Cal Rx plans include it in their formularies. 

If you have Medicaid coverage for Tresiba, you may be able to get it free of charge through some plans. For example, Aetna Better Health Premier Medicare-Medicaid Plan of Illinois covers Tresiba with a copay of $0 per prescription. 

How to save money on Tresiba

If you don’t have coverage for Tresiba or your plan doesn’t fully cover it, there are other ways to save. Consider the following options to get it more affordably. 

1. Free Tresiba coupons from SingleCare

Your SingleCare prescription discount card gets you access to discounts at pharmacies across the country. With the SingleCare Tresiba coupon, you can pay as low as $118 for a 10 mL 100 unit/mL vial of Tresiba or $37 for a 3 mL 100 unit/mL autoinjector pen of Tresiba Flextouch. Your out-of-pocket cost can vary by quantity, dose, form, and pharmacy. 

SingleCare coupons are free to get from the SingleCare app or website. Just enter Tresiba in the search bar to access coupons and the local pharmacies where they work. 

2. Medicare or Medicaid savings

If you have Medicare or Medicaid, you may be eligible for substantial savings on Tresiba. 

People with Medicare Part D should know that the Inflation Reduction Act of 2023 made it so that all insulin products covered under Medicare Part D (including Tresiba) are capped at $35 per month without needing to meet a deductible. 

Medicaid coverage varies by state, but most state Medicaid programs include Tresiba on their formularies, often with low or no out-of-pocket costs for eligible patients. Some states may also offer State Pharmaceutical Assistance Programs (SPAPs) that provide additional support for people with limited income.

To find out how much you’ll pay under your specific plan, contact your Medicare Part D provider or your state’s Medicaid office for coverage details.

3. Tresiba savings card from Novo Nordisk

Tresiba’s drug manufacturer offers a Tresiba savings card for people with commercial or private insurance who are paying a copay of more than $100 per 30-day supply. This program helps eligible people get Tresiba for as little as $35 and no more than $99 per prescription. 

To be eligible for the savings card, the patient must:

• Be prescribed Tresiba
• Not be eligible for or receive aid from government health programs, such as Medicaid, Medicare, Medigap, Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Benefits, Department of Defense (DOD) health benefits, or Tricare. 
• Live in the U.S. 
• Have commercial insurance coverage 

There are limits to how much you can save with the Tresiba savings program. You can read more about specific eligibility requirements on the Tresiba website.

4. Tresiba patient assistance program and savings program

If you are uninsured or have commercial insurance, Novo Nordisk also offers a program called MyInsulinRx through NovoCare. If eligible, you could pay $35 for a monthly supply of any two Novo Nordisk insulin products, up to three vials or two packs of pens. 

To be eligible, you must have a valid prescription and not receive any benefits from government health programs. The program is only available to people in the U.S. and U.S. territories, and it can’t be used with other noninsurance discounts. 

If you are uninsured or have Medicare, you may be eligible for the NovoCare patient assistance program. This program provides eligible people with a year’s supply of Tresiba for free. To be eligible, you must:

• Be a U.S. citizen or legal resident of the U.S.
• Have a total household income that is at or below 400% of the federal poverty level
• Be enrolled in Medicare or have no insurance
• Not be enrolled in or receive benefits from other government programs, such as Medicaid, Medicare Extra Help (Low Income Subsidy), or VA benefits 

The program covers a one-year supply, and you’ll need to reapply each year if you want continued support from the program. 

Is there a cheaper alternative to Tresiba?

If the cost of Tresiba is too high, there could be more affordable alternatives that healthcare providers may recommend. Other long-acting insulins include:

• Lantus (insulin glargine), which costs $319 for a 10 mL 100 unit/mL vial on average without insurance
• Basaglar KwikPen (insulin glargine), which costs $94 for a 3 mL 100 unit/mL autoinjector pen on average without insurance
• Semglee (insulin glargine-ygfn), which costs $110 for a 3 mL 100 unit/mL autoinjector pen on average without insurance

Since people with Type 1 diabetes are typically prescribed a combination of short- and long-acting insulins to manage their daily blood sugar levels, it’s important to consult with your healthcare provider about any suitable alternatives that would work with your regimen.

If Tresiba is part of your treatment, know that you now have many options to save on this important daily medication. Insurance coverage, a Tresiba coupon, or manufacturer programs can all help you save on your out-of-pocket costs for Tresiba.