How to save on Viagra: Discount cards and more

Key takeaways

• Choosing sildenafil, the generic version of Viagra, can offer significant savings on your treatment while providing the exact same medical benefits.
• Prescription discount cards, like Optum Perks, can offer up to 80% off retail prices and are often cheaper than using insurance for lifestyle medications like Viagra.
• Online care consultations can eliminate the cost and time of traditional office visits, offering a flat-fee path to a legitimate prescription.

Overview

If you have erectile dysfunction (ED), one of the most widely known treatments is Viagra, an oral medication that contains the active ingredient sildenafil. It can be a good option for people with ED because you only take it when needed for sexual activity.

However, these little blue pills can be expensive, and they’re not always covered by insurance. Let’s take a look at some ways you can save on Viagra medications.

Need a prescription or refill for ED medication? You can get discreet and expert on-demand care in as little as 15 minutes through Optum Perks. For $29, answer a few questions online and get a treatment plan from a US-licensed healthcare professional. Get started here.

Try discount cards

Prescription discount cards can be a good option to save on a variety of prescription medications, including Viagra. According to a 2019 study, prescription discount programs can allow people to achieve significant savings on their prescription costs.

How much you can save will depend on the specific card, pharmacy, and medication in question. With Optum Perks, for example, you can save up to 80% on your prescriptions. It’s important to note that discount cards aren’t insurance, and often can’t be used alongside insurance.

Optum Perks now also offers reduced pricing on over 60 branded medications, and consumers can now save an average of 22.5%, or $91, per prescription. The final price of your medications may be discounted at the pharmacy even further than the offers listed on our site.

To see your final cost, simply present your Optum Perks card to the pharmacist — your savings will be applied in real time based on our most current discounts.

If you need help covering the cost of medications, the free Optum Perks Discount Card could help you save up to 80% on prescription drugs. Plus, you can now get them delivered to your home in as little as 3 days. Search for your medication here.

Consider generics

When a drug is first approved, it’s usually only available in a brand-name form. This is because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) grants a manufacturer a period of exclusivity to sell a medication so that the drugmaker can recover some of the costs associated with research and development of a new medication.

Once this exclusivity period ends, other manufacturers are allowed to sell generic versions of the drug. These contain the same active ingredient as the branded form, and they’re equally as safe and effective.

One of the benefits of generic drugs is that they tend to be cheaper than branded medications, with the FDA estimating that they cost up to 85% less. They tend to be cheaper as the manufacturers don’t need to recover the research costs.

The generic form of Viagra is called sildenafil. 

Pro tip: If your doctor has recommended or prescribed Viagra for you and you have concerns about affordability, consider asking them about sildenafil instead.

Look into your insurance coverage

Your insurance may not cover Viagra, as it may be considered a “lifestyle drug” because it’s considered to help with quality of life rather than treating an illness.

However, you can check your individual plan to see if Viagra will be covered. In some cases, a plan may cover generic sildenafil but not the branded form, so you can ask your doctor about prescribing the generic if possible.

Your insurer may also be more likely to cover Viagra if it’s being used to treat an underlying condition that causes ED, such as pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH).

Insurance may also require prior authorization before approving Viagra. This means your doctor will submit proof that Viagra is medically necessary for you, and it may involve showing that other medical treatments have not been effective.

Look into manufacturer savings programs

Another option to save on Viagra is to look into manufacturer savings programs. 

Viagra’s manufacturer, Viatris, offers a savings card that helps you to save 50% on the cost of up to 12 prescriptions of Viagra per year. Note that it can’t be used by anyone accessing federal healthcare programs like Medicare or Medicaid.

The offer gives you 50% savings off the amount of your copay or your out-of-pocket cost, whichever is less, with a maximum savings of $350 off each prescription for up to 12 prescriptions in a calendar year. This means it may be a good option if you don’t have insurance coverage for Viagra.

Try online care

Another barrier related to the cost of Viagra isn’t just the price of the pill — it’s the time and cost of the doctor’s visit. Between insurance copays and the time spent in a waiting room, getting a prescription can be expensive and time consuming.

Online care services, including Optum Perks Online Care, may make getting treatment easier. With these services, you can submit an online form answering a few questions about your symptoms, and a US-licensed healthcare professional will respond soon after to prescribe a treatment plan.

Another option is telehealth services specific to ED medications, such as Hims or Ro. These tend to work more like subscription services, where you have a monthly or quarterly commitment. 

Summary

While brand-name Viagra remains a high cost lifestyle drug for many insurance providers, there are several tools to help lower your out-of-pocket expenses. 

By opting for generic sildenafil, utilizing manufacturer savings programs, or using the Optum Perks discount card, you can access the treatment you need at a price that fits your budget.

If you’re looking for the most convenient route, consider starting with an online care consultation to skip the waiting room and get your prescription sent directly to your preferred pharmacy.

Download the free Optum Perks Discount Card to save up to 80% on many prescription medications. Plus, you can now get them delivered to your home in as little as 3 days. Search for your medication here.