Vivitrol is the brand name for an injectable form of naltrexone that is used to treat opioid addiction and alcohol addiction. A generic form of this medication isn’t currently available in the U.S.
Breaking Down the Cost of Vivitrol
The following chart breaks down the cost you can expect to pay for Vivitrol:[1-5]
| Payment or Coverage Type | Estimated Cost |
| Out-of-Pocket Cash Purchase | $1,737.59 per monthly injection |
| Vivitrol Co-Pay Program | Varies, as little as $0 per month |
| Private Insurance | Varies significantly by plan type and quality |
| Medicaid | Varies by state and year, usually designed to be very affordable to low-income patients |
| Medicare | Varies by chosen plan, but drug costs typically cap out under the standard drug benefit once you and your plan spend $5,030 combined on drugs, sharply reducing additional drug costs for that year |
| Discounts or Support Programs | Varies, often free or low-cost for low-income, uninsured, or underinsured patients |
Vivitrol Basics
Vivitrol is a brand name, prescription intramuscular powder used for injection. It comes in an extended-release form with a 380 mg dose.
The generic form of the active ingredient in this drug is naltrexone, which should work identically to Vivitrol at an equivalent dose. However, naltrexone is not available as an injection outside of Vivitrol. Naltrexone or Vivitrol may be used as part of a medication-assisted treatment program for substance addiction.
Ways to Save Money on Vivitrol
There are a few different ways you might be able to save money on Vivitrol, including these:
Vivitrol Co-pay Card
There is a co-pay savings program designed to help make Vivitrol more affordable to eligible patients. This program can cover up to $500 per month of co-pay or deductible expenses for eligible patients. Alkermes, the company that produces Vivitrol, reports that 91% of eligible patients using the Vivitrol Co-pay Savings Program had no-out-of-pocket expenses when getting their medication.[2]
The company offers a tool to check your availability for this program. Most people over 18 years old with a valid Vivitrol prescription are eligible if they have either commercial health insurance or no insurance.[2]
Private Insurance
Private insurance can sharply reduce the cost of medications covered by your plan. While you should familiarize yourself with the specifics of your insurance coverage, prescription drug coverage is pretty typical, as long as that medication is believed by an expert to be medically necessary and an equivalent, cheaper treatment wouldn’t be as effective.
Some insurance plans will treat Vivitrol and its generic form differently, but these medications can be used interchangeably. A patient should typically just request and get whichever form is cheapest after their coverage kicks in.
The exact cost of your medication is going to vary significantly by the specifics of your insurance plan. With that said, a good plan should usually make the medication affordable. Otherwise, you can check if a better plan with superior coverage is available at a cost that makes sense for you overall.
Medicaid
Medicaid coverage of Vivitrol is going to vary by state. Costs update every year depending on the calculated ingredient cost and dispensing fee associated with the medication.
Dispensing fees can vary somewhat, with our research indicating it typically sits between $10 and $20. Ingredient cost is a bit harder to determine, as different states can calculate a medication’s ingredient cost in a variety of ways.[3]
With that said, the actual maximum out-of-pocket costs for those covered under Medicaid are often under about $10 regardless of how medication cost is totaled. The specifics depend on your place in relation to the federal poverty line (FPL).
Medicare
Similar to private insurance, there are multiple types of Medicare plans available to choose from, with the specifics depending on your state and particular situation. This means coverage will vary. However, drug costs typically cap out under the standard drug benefit once you and your plan spend $5,030 combined on drugs, sharply reducing additional drug costs for that year.[5,6]
Discounts & Support Programs
Some patients may be eligible for discounts or support programs that can help reduce the cost of their medications. In our research, we found two programs available to qualifying individuals that can reduce the cost of Vivitrol: the Patient Access Network Foundation (PAN) and Vivitrol2gether Support Service. This is in addition to the Vivitrol Co-Pay Program and any additional temporary discounts certain medication providers may periodically make available.[2]
Factors That Impact the Cost of Medication
Some notable factors that can impact the cost of medications include the following:
Name Brand or Generic Version
In most cases, generic versions of medications will be significantly less expensive than brand-name versions.
Vivitrol is a brand-name medication, and branded medications typically cost significantly more than their generic alternatives, at least before accounting for any kind of discount or coverage available to you. However, at the time of writing, a generic form of injectable naltrexone is not available in the U.S.
Type of Insurance Coverage & Benefits
A challenge when discussing medication cost is that insurance plans vary significantly in the United States. For most people, one of the most impactful things in terms of any healthcare cost will be their insurance. It’s important to understand things like copays or the percentage of medication costs your plan will cover and whether you have to meet a deductible before getting your coverage.
Dose Requirements
In theory, the dose of a medication being purchased will typically change its cost, with a higher dose usually costing more. However, the recommended dose for Vivitrol is 380 mg. Still, if dose recommendations change or more naltrexone-based medications are approved and released, this could potentially influence pricing in the future.[1]
- Vivitrol prices, coupons and patient assistance programs. Drugs.com. Accessed March 28, 2024.
- Vivitrol co-pay savings program. Alkermes. Accessed March 28, 2024.
- Medicaid covered outpatient prescription drug reimbursement information by state. Medicaid.gov. Published November 16, 2022. Accessed March 28, 2024.
- Branded prescription drug fee program. Medicaid.gov. Accessed March 28, 2024.
- How to get prescription drug coverage. Medicare.gov. Accessed March 28, 2024.
- Copayment/coinsurance in drug plans. Medicare.gov. Accessed March 28, 2024.
