Femara (letrozole) is a prescription drug used to treat certain types of breast cancer. Femara’s cost may depend on factors such as your dosage, whether you have health insurance, and the pharmacy you use.

Femara is used to treat breast cancer in adult females* who’ve gone through menopause.

Specifically, it’s used as:

  • adjuvant treatment of hormone receptor-positive (HR+) early breast cancer
  • adjuvant treatment of early breast cancer in those who’ve received tamoxifen (Nolvadex, Soltamox) treatment
  • the first or second type of treatment for advanced breast cancer that’s HR+ or of unknown status

Femara comes as an oral tablet. It contains the active ingredient letrozole. (An active ingredient is what makes a drug work.)

For more details on Femara, see this in-depth article.

* In this article we use the term “female” to refer to someone’s sex assigned at birth. For information about the difference between sex and gender, see this article.

The price you pay for Femara can vary. It 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 Femara, 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 Femara. This means your insurer and your doctor will discuss Femara in regard to your treatment. Then the insurance company will determine whether the drug is covered. If Femara 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 Femara requires prior authorization.

Femara is available as the generic drug letrozole. A generic contains an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. A generic is considered just as safe and effective as the original drug but tends to cost less.

To find out how the costs of Femara and letrozole compare, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

If you’ve been prescribed Femara and you’re interested in taking letrozole instead, talk with your doctor. They may prefer that you take one version instead of the other. You’ll also need to check with your insurance provider, as it may only cover one drug or the other.

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 manufacturer 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 Femara 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 Femara if approved by your insurance company. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower the cost of Femara. 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 Femara. Plus, 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 Femara or understanding your insurance, check out these resources:

On these sites, you can find insurance information, details on drug assistance programs, and links to savings cards and other services.

If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about Femara and cost.

What’s the cost of Femara without insurance vs. with insurance?

The cost of Femara without insurance versus with insurance can vary based on several factors.

Some factors that may affect your cost of Femara without insurance include:

  • your treatment plan and drug dosage
  • the pharmacy you use
  • the quantity you’re prescribed (such as a 30-day or 90-day supply)
  • any cost savings programs you apply and qualify for

The same factors affect your cost of the drug if you’re paying through insurance. But in addition, your cost with insurance may depend on:

  • your individual plan benefits
  • any prior authorization requirements for your plan

To find out more about your cost with and without insurance, check with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider (if you have one).

Whether you have insurance or not, you can visit Optum Perks* to get price estimates for Femara when you use coupons from the site. It’s important to note that Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits.

* Optum Perks is a sister site of Healthline.

Is Femara covered by Medicare?

It’s possible. To find out whether your Medicare plan covers the cost of Femara, call your plan provider. There are many different types of Medicare plans available, and your cost and coverage depend on your individual plan benefits.

Keep in mind that your plan may have prior authorization requirements before it will cover Femara.

You can also ask your doctor about the cost of Femara if you have Medicare.

If you still have questions about the cost of Femara, 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 Femara.

Examples of questions you may want to ask include:

  • Is my cost for Femara based on my dosage of the medication?
  • Do I qualify for Femara cost savings if I have Medicare?
  • Are there other, lower-cost options to treat my condition if I can’t afford Femara?

To learn more about Femara, see these articles:

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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.