Aristada and cost

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

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

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

Insurance considerations

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

Prior authorization. If you have insurance, your insurance company may require prior authorization before it covers Aristada. This means the company and your doctor will discuss Aristada 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 Aristada requires prior authorization.

Type of insurance coverage. Aristada is given by your doctor or another healthcare professional. If you have insurance, the price of your Aristada doses may be billed through your medical coverage instead of the prescription drug portion of your insurance plan. This depends on your specific insurance plan and where you receive your Aristada 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.

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

How does the cost of Aristada injection compare with the cost of Abilify?

Aristada (aripiprazole lauroxil) and Abilify (aripiprazole) are both forms of the drug aripiprazole. Both drugs may be prescribed as an injection. However, Abilify is also available as an oral tablet. The cost of either drug can depend on which form your doctor prescribes.

To find out which medication works best to treat your condition, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. If you have insurance and have questions about the cost of these medications, talk with your insurance provider. If you don’t have insurance coverage, you can ask your pharmacist for the cash price of each drug.

Is Aristada covered by Medicare?

It depends on your plan. Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage plans cover certain prescription drugs. To find out whether Aristada is covered by Medicare, contact your plan representative. If you have questions about what to expect with Aristada treatment, talk with your doctor.

Aristada is only available 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.

If you take Aristada long term, you may be able to lower its cost.

If you don’t have health insurance, talk with your doctor. They can advise whether you qualify for certain financial assistance options.

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

• The Aristada Co-pay Savings Program is available for this drug. For more information and to find out whether you’re eligible for support, call 866-274-7823 or visit the program website.
• 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

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

Now that you’ve learned about cost and Aristada, you may still have some questions. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist, who can provide personalized guidance about cost issues related to Aristada. But if you have health insurance, you’ll need to talk with your insurance provider to learn the actual cost you would pay for Aristada.

Here are some other resources you may find helpful:

• Medicare drug coverage. To learn about Medicare coverage for drugs, see these articles about Medicare prescription drug plans, drug coupons and Medicare, and the Medicare drug list.
• More details. For details about other aspects of Aristada, refer to this article.
• Dosage. Learn about Aristada and dosage by viewing this article.
• Side effects. For details about Aristada’s side effects, see this article. You can also look at the prescribing information for Aristada and Aristada Initio.
• Information about schizophrenia. For more information about schizophrenia, see our mental health hub.

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.