How Much Does an Inhaler Cost Without Insurance in 2026? $19 to $645

What moves the price

• Rescue or maintenance. Rescue inhalers hold albuterol and come as low cost generics. Maintenance inhalers are used every day and are more often brand name, so list prices are higher. This is where the $35 caps help most.
• Brand or generic. GoodRx lists brand Ventolin HFA (18 gram) at an average of $78.12 and generic Ventolin HFA at $42.49. With a coupon, the generic is $28.23.
• Size of the inhaler. GoodRx lists brand Ventolin HFA at $28.80 for the 8 gram size and $78.12 for the 18 gram size. Generic ProAir HFA (8.5 gram) is $31.19 and generic Proventil HFA (6.7 gram) is $32.32.
• Type of device. ProAir RespiClick is a brand powder inhaler. GoodRx lists it at $91.54 on average and $60.35 with a coupon. That is far above the spray generics.
• Which maker makes it. The $35 caps come from Boehringer Ingelheim, AstraZeneca and GSK. An inhaler from another maker does not get that price from these caps.
• Insurance type. NBC News says people on Medicare and Medicaid are not eligible for the caps. Uninsured and privately insured patients are the ones the caps are built for.
• Coupon or no coupon. A free coupon lowers the generic albuterol price from $31.19 to $19.84 for generic ProAir HFA, according to GoodRx.
• How old the price is. The GoodRx prices were published on November 18, 2024, and the NBC News list prices are from 2024 too. Today's price at your pharmacy may be different.

What is included

An inhaler price is the price of the device. A rescue inhaler is usually one canister. A maintenance inhaler is usually one month of doses. The price does not cover the doctor visit that gets you the prescription. Ask the pharmacist for the full amount before you pay.

Rescue inhalers. These hold albuterol. GoodRx lists these average cash prices with no insurance: generic Proventil HFA (6.7 gram) $32.32, generic ProAir HFA (8.5 gram) $31.19 and generic Ventolin HFA (18 gram) $42.49. With a GoodRx coupon they fall to $19.45, $19.84 and $28.23. Brand Ventolin HFA is $28.80 for 8 grams and $78.12 for 18 grams, or $28.51 and $61.38 with a coupon. ProAir RespiClick, a brand powder device, is $91.54 on average and $60.35 with a coupon. GoodRx says brand Proventil HFA and ProAir HFA have been discontinued.

GSK said it would cap Ventolin HFA at $35 per month, starting no later than January 2025. The cap does not apply to people with government insurance such as Medicare or Medicaid.

Maintenance inhalers. The Allergy and Asthma Network lists these maker programs. It lists AstraZeneca help for Symbicort and Pulmicort. It lists GSK help for Advair Diskus, Advair HFA, Serevent Diskus, Arnuity Ellipta, Anoro Ellipta, Breo Ellipta, Incruse Ellipta and Trelegy Ellipta. It lists Boehringer Ingelheim help through its BI Cares Foundation for Spiriva HandiHaler, Spiriva Respimat, Striverdi Respimat and Atrovent HFA. Some have savings cards that bring the cost lower still, for eligible patients. The card for Combivent Respimat can bring the cost to as little as $10. The cards for Stiolto Respimat and Trelegy Ellipta can bring it to as little as $0.

Start dates. Fierce Pharma says the Boehringer Ingelheim and AstraZeneca programs began on June 1 and GSK's cap takes effect no later than January 1, 2025. It says GSK cut the list price of Advair Diskus by an average of 50 percent and Advair HFA by an average of 20 percent.

Teva. The Allergy and Asthma Network says that as of 2024 Teva no longer offers coupons for ProAir RespiClick, ProAir Digihaler, QVAR Redihaler and some other Teva inhalers. We could not confirm a $35 cap from Teva or Chiesi.

List prices. NBC News reported an AstraZeneca inhaler with a U.S. list price of $645, compared with $49 in the U.K. It reported a Teva inhaler at $286 in the U.S. and $9 in Germany. The article also said it was unclear whether a cap applies per inhaler or to all of a patient's asthma drugs. Ask each program how it works.

Ways to pay less

• Ask for the generic albuterol price. GoodRx lists generic albuterol inhalers from $19.45 to $28.23 with a coupon. Tell the pharmacist you pay cash and ask for the generic.
• Use a free coupon. Look up your ZIP code at GoodRx.com. The coupon price for generic ProAir HFA is $19.84, against $31.19 on average without it. Show the coupon at the counter.
• Call AstraZeneca for Symbicort and Pulmicort. The Allergy and Asthma Network lists 800-AZandMe (800-292-6363). For Airsupra, call 866-480-0030. For Breztri Aerosphere, call 833-458-0440.
• Go through GSK For You. The Allergy and Asthma Network lists gskforyou.com or 888-825-5249 for Ventolin HFA, Advair, Breo Ellipta and other GSK inhalers. Ask how to enroll if you have no insurance.
• Contact Boehringer Ingelheim. For Spiriva, Striverdi Respimat and Atrovent HFA, the BI Cares Foundation line is 800-556-8317. For the Combivent Respimat savings card, call 800-867-1052.
• Search the free help sites. The Allergy and Asthma Network points people with no insurance to NeedyMeds, RX Assist, RX Hope and Accessia Health. It points under-insured people to the Healthwell Foundation and Patient Advocate Foundation.
• Read the fine print. NBC News says Medicare and Medicaid patients are not eligible for the $35 caps. If you have a government plan, ask the maker about other help.
• Never pay a fee to join. The Allergy and Asthma Network warns not to pay fees or share credit card details with an assistance program.

What price guides say

We checked 4 price guides and read every number on their pages. They do not all measure the same thing, so the ranges on this page come from putting them side by side.

• NBC News: Drugmakers cap the cost of asthma inhalers at $35 a month
• GoodRx: Albuterol inhaler cash prices without insurance (published November 18, 2024)
• Allergy and Asthma Network: What if I can't afford my asthma medication? Maker programs and phone numbers
• Fierce Pharma: GSK joins Boehringer and AstraZeneca in the $35 inhaler cap

Common questions

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