If you’re looking at treatment options for heart failure, you may want to learn more about Entresto (sacubitril/valsartan). It’s a prescription drug used to treat heart failure in adults and some children. It’s approved to:
- lower the risk of dying or being hospitalized in adults with chronic heart failure
- treat a certain kind of heart failure in children ages 1 year and older
Entresto comes as a tablet that you swallow.
Keep reading for details on Entresto and cost, and how to save money on prescriptions.
Note: For more details on Entresto, see this in-depth article.
The price you pay for Entresto can vary. Your cost may depend on your treatment plan, your insurance coverage (if you have it), and the pharmacy you use.
To find out how much you’ll pay for Entresto, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.
Note: If you have insurance, you may need to get prior authorization before your insurance provider will cover Entresto. This means your insurer and your doctor will discuss Entresto in regard to your treatment. Then your insurance company will determine whether the drug is covered. If Entresto requires prior authorization and you don’t receive it before you start treatment, you could pay the full cost of the drug.
Be sure to ask your insurance company whether Entresto requires prior authorization.
Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about Entresto and cost.
What is the cost per month of Entresto with insurance and without insurance?
Your cost for Entresto will depend on whether or not you have insurance coverage or Medicare coverage for prescription drugs.
The drugmaker of Entresto has two programs to help with cost. A 30-day free trial offer is available to anyone with a prescription. It covers up to 60 tablets. And if you have insurance, you may be eligible for a $10-copay offer.
See the “Can I get help paying for Entresto?” section below for more information.
Is the price of the Entresto 50-mg tablets lower than the price of the 100-mg tablets?
Entresto contains two active ingredients: sacubitril and valsartan. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.) It comes in the following strengths:
- 50 milligrams (mg), which contains 24 mg sacubitril and 26 mg valsartan
- 100 mg, which contains 49 mg sacubitril and 51 mg valsartan
- 200 mg, which contains 97 mg sacubitril and 103 mg valsartan
It’s possible that the price for one strength may be lower than for another strength. But this depends on many factors, such as your insurance plan, the number of tablets your doctor prescribes for you, and which pharmacy you use.
Why is Entresto so expensive?
There are many reasons why certain prescription drugs are so expensive. First, they must go through years of testing to make sure they are safe and effective. The drugmaker may then sell the brand-name drug for up to 20 years. After that, other companies may make generic forms of the drug. Entresto was approved in 2015, so it’s still only available as a brand-name medication.
There are some generic drugs that are used to treat certain kinds of heart failure. Talk with your doctor if you have questions about other treatment options for your condition.
Also, see the “Can I get help paying for Entresto?” section below for possible cost-saving options.
Entresto only comes as a brand-name drug. It’s not currently available 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 is there such a cost difference between brand-name drugs and generics?Years of research and testing are needed to ensure that brand-name drugs are safe and effective. This testing can make the drugs expensive. The drugmaker of a brand-name drug can sell the drug for up to 20 years. After that, other drugmakers can create generic versions. This competition in the market can lead to lower costs for generics. And because generics have the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs, they don’t need to be studied again. This can also lead to lower generic costs.
If you take Entresto long term, you may be able to lower your costs in the following ways:
Look into getting a 90-day supply of your medication. You may be able to get a 90-day supply of Entresto if approved by your insurance company. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower the cost of Entresto. If you’re interested in getting a 90-day supply of this drug, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.
Use a mail-order pharmacy to get your medication. Using a mail-order pharmacy might help lower your cost for Entresto. And you could get your medication without leaving home. Some Medicare plans may help cover the cost of mail-order drugs. You may also be able to get a 90-day supply of the drug through mail order. If you don’t have health insurance, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to suggest online pharmacy options that could work for you.
If you need help covering the cost of Entresto or understanding your insurance, check out these websites:
On these sites, you can find insurance information, details on drug assistance programs, and links to savings cards and other services.
Two programs from the Entresto drugmaker are available to help reduce the drug’s cost:
- A 30-day free trial offer is available to anyone with a prescription. It covers up to 60 tablets.
- If you have insurance, you may be eligible for a $10-copay offer.
If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.
If you still have questions about the cost of Entresto, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to give you a better idea of what you’ll pay for this drug. But if you have health insurance, you’ll need to talk with your insurance provider to learn the actual cost you’d pay for Entresto.
Examples of questions you may want to ask your doctor or insurance provider include:
- Are there other drugs to treat my condition that may cost less?
- What treatment options do I have if I can’t afford my medication?
- Will it cost less to fill Entresto at a mail-order pharmacy?
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Disclaimer: Healthline 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.