Apretude prices: Cost with and without insurance

Apretude cost

As with all medications, the cost of Apretude can vary. Factors that may affect the price you’ll pay include:

• your treatment plan
• your insurance coverage
• the cost of the visit to your healthcare professional to receive doses of Apretude
• whether Apretude has a savings program (see “Financial and insurance assistance” below)

To find out what the cost of Apretude will be for you, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Apretude coupons and savings

To save money on your Apretude prescription, explore these Optum Perks coupons.

Financial and insurance assistance

If you need financial support to pay for Apretude or if you need help understanding your insurance coverage, help is available. For example:

• Apretude’s manufacturer offers the Apretude Savings Program to help with the cost of your copay. For more information and to find out whether you’re eligible for support, visit the program website.
• ViiV Healthcare, the distributor of Apretude, offers a resource called ViiV Connect. To learn about possible savings and assistance options for Apretude, visit the ViiV Connect website or call 844-588-3288.
• Some websites provide details about drug assistance programs, ways to make the most of your insurance coverage, and links to savings cards and other services. Two such websites are:
  • Medicine Assistance Tool
  • NeedyMeds, which has a cost calculator

To learn more about saving money on prescriptions with or without insurance, check out this article.

Is Apretude covered by insurance?

Below is information you may want to consider if you have insurance and receive Apretude.

Prior authorization: If you have insurance, your insurance company may require prior authorization before it covers Apretude. This means the company and your doctor will discuss Apretude in regard to your treatment. The insurance company will then determine whether the medication is covered. If a drug requires prior authorization but you start treatment without the prior approval, you could pay the full cost of the medication. You can ask your insurance company whether Apretude requires prior authorization.

Type of insurance coverage: Apretude is given by your doctor or another healthcare professional. If you have insurance, the price of your Apretude doses may be billed through your primary health insurance instead of the prescription drug portion of your insurance. This depends on your insurance coverage and where you receive your Apretude doses, such as at your doctor’s office, an infusion clinic, or a hospital. If you have questions about this process, contact your doctor or your insurance provider.

Common questions about cost and Apretude

Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about drug cost and Apretude.

How much does Apretude cost without insurance?

The price you’ll pay for Apretude if you don’t have insurance can vary based on several factors. But typically, the cost is higher for people without insurance.

There are other factors that could affect what you pay for this drug. This includes whether you apply and qualify for any available savings programs.

To learn the exact cost you’d pay for this medication without insurance, ask your doctor.

Check out Optum Perks* for estimates of Apretude’s price when using coupons from the site. (Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance benefits or copays.)

* Optum Perks is a sister site of Medical News Today.

What’s the cost of Apretude vs. Descovy?

The price you would pay for Apretude versus that of Descovy (emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide) depends on various factors.

For instance, the form of the drug may affect its price. Apretude is available as an intramuscular injection and Descovy is available as a tablet that you swallow. Typically, injection drugs cost more than tablets.

It’s also important to note that Apretude injections must be given by a healthcare professional. Because of this, your Apretude cost may include the cost of a visit to your doctor’s office or clinic. In contrast, Descovy tablets can be taken at home.

There are additional factors that can affect your prescription cost, including:

• the length of your treatment
• whether there are payment assistance programs for your prescribed treatment
• whether you’re paying out of pocket or have insurance

To learn more about the cost of Apretude compared with other treatments for your condition, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider. For details about Descovy’s cost and available coupons, see this article.

Brand-name vs. generic drugs

Apretude is available only as a brand-name drug. It doesn’t come in a generic version. A generic drug is an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication.

Generics tend to cost less than brand-name drugs.

WHY ARE COSTS DIFFERENT FOR BRAND-NAME DRUGS VS. GENERIC DRUGS?

Brand-name drugs can be expensive because of the research needed to test their safety and effectiveness. The manufacturer of a brand-name drug can sell it for up to 20 years. When the brand-name drug’s patent expires, multiple manufacturers can create generic versions. This marketplace competition may lead to lower costs for generics. Also, because generics contain the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs, they don’t require the same costly testing.

Disclaimer: Medical News Today has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.