Halobetasol (Lexette, Ultravate, Bryhali) is a corticosteroid drug for treating plaque psoriasis. The brand Lexette is a topical aerosol foam version of the drug, while Ultravate and Bryhali are topical lotions. Lexette has approval for use in people over the age of 12.
Whether or not Medicare Part D drug plans or Medicare Advantage Prescription Drug (MAPD) plans cover Lexette, its generic alternative, or any of the other brands depends on the specific plan.
Generally, Medicare drug plans may cover prescription drugs for treating psoriasis if a doctor determines that drug therapy is medically necessary. For Medicare to give coverage, the drug that a doctor prescribes needs to have approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for treating this skin disease.
That said, whether or not a person receives coverage for Lexettedepends on the plan they are enrolled in. Private insurers administer both Part D and MAPD plans. For each plan, the insurer sets a formulary, which is a list of covered drugs.
Some plans may cover Lexette, while others may not. If a plan does not cover this medication, it may cover a generic halobetasol, one of the other brand-name versions, or an alternative corticosteroid.
To determine whether a specific Medicare drug plan covers Lexette, a person can look at the available plans in their area on Medicare.gov. If an individual is already enrolled and their plan does not cover this drug, they can apply for a formulary exception.
One can of Lexette can cost nearly $1,000 without insurance. If a Medicare drug plan covers this medication, a person’s out-of-pocket cost depends on the tier in which the drug is classified within the formulary.
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Brand-name drugs tend to feature in higher tiers than generic drugs, which means a person will pay a bigger copay once they meet their deductible and their coverage kicks in. That said, in 2025, Medicare caps a person’s overall annual out-of-pocket expenses at $2,000.
A person needs to factor their plan’s premium and deductible into their costs. With Medicare drug plans, these costs vary by plan.
If a person’s plan does not cover Lexette and they prefer the brand version over another covered alternative, they may consider using a manufacturing coupon instead of their Medicare plan. Currently, this brings down a person’s out-of-pocket expenses to as low as $0 and no more than $65 for most eligible people.