Miacalcin

Introduction

Written by Julz Richterman, PharmD, MBA, BCGP
Medically reviewed by Michael Rio, PharmD
Updated on February 13, 2024

Calcitonin (kal si TOE nin) is a generic medication that’s prescribed for high calcium, postmenopausal osteoporosis, and Paget’s disease. The brand-name version of this drug is Miacalcin. The cost of calcitonin with or without insurance can depend on several factors. It might be lowered by using a coupon.

Read on to learn about calcitonin and cost. You’ll also find available coupons and suggestions for ways to save on your prescription. If you’d like more information about calcitonin, including its uses, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. 

Cost of calcitonin

Like other medications, the cost of calcitonin can vary. Certain factors may affect its price, such as:

• your insurance plan, if you have coverage
• the pharmacy you use
• the cost to visit a healthcare professional to receive doses of calcitonin
• the cost to purchase needles and syringes to use with calcitonin  
• the quantity/amount prescribed
• the drug form you’re prescribed

To find out how much calcitonin costs, ask your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider. They may be able to suggest ways to save money on your prescription, including those described in this article. To find out what you’d pay using savings coupons, read the “Coupons for calcitonin” section.

Coupons for calcitonin

Prescription drug coupons can help you save money by lowering the cost of calcitonin. The Optum Perks coupons above can provide significant savings on your prescription costs.

Note: Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.

Available app for coupons

To make finding and using these coupons easier, you can download the Optum Perks app. To learn more about this prescription discount app, see this article.

Insurance and other considerations for calcitonin

Here’s a list of things to consider about the cost of prescription drugs:

• Prior authorization: If you have prescription drug insurance, your insurance company may require prior authorization before it covers the cost of calcitonin. In this case, your doctor will communicate with your insurance company regarding your prescription for calcitonin. The insurance company will decide whether to cover the medication. If a drug requires prior authorization and you begin using it without this, you may have to pay the full price of the drug.
• Insurance coverage: Even if your policy has prescription drug coverage, the price of calcitonin may instead be billed through your medical coverage. This is because a doctor or another healthcare professional may give you your doses of calcitonin. The cost of your doses will depend on your specific insurance plan and whether you receive the doses at your doctor’s clinic or a hospital, or if you self-administer them at home. If you have questions about this process, contact your doctor or your insurance provider.
• A 3-month supply: If you’re using calcitonin long term, your doctor may suggest a 90-day supply of the medication. This will have to be approved by your insurance company. Getting a 90-day supply could help lower the drug’s cost. It could also save you time having to make trips to your pharmacy.
• Savings accounts: If you’re eligible for a health savings account (HSA) or a flexible spending account (FSA), you can likely use funds from these accounts to pay for copays. These include copays for visits to the doctor’s office, clinic, or hospital to receive doses of calcitonin. HSA and FSA plans allow people to save money by using pretax dollars to pay for eligible healthcare expenses, such as copays, and prescription and over-the-counter drugs. To learn more about whether you’re eligible for these savings accounts and how to use them, talk with your insurance provider or employer.

If you have questions about any of these considerations, ask your doctor or pharmacist. Or contact your insurance company and talk with a representative.

If you don’t have a health insurance plan, let your doctor or pharmacist know. They may suggest online pharmacy options you could use. You can also ask them about ways to obtain health insurance coverage.

Generics vs. brand-names

Calcitonin is a generic medication. Its brand-name versions are shown in the following table:

A generic medication is an identical copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication. An active ingredient is what makes medication work. Generics usually cost less than brand-name drugs. And they’re believed to be as safe and effective as the brand-name version.

If your doctor has prescribed calcitonin but you’re interested in taking Miacalcin, let them know. They may have a reason to prescribe one medication over the other. Also, check which forms of the drug your insurance plan covers, as it may not cover all forms.

To learn how the cost of calcitonin compares with its brand-name version, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. You could also contact your insurance company. 

Common questions about calcitonin and cost

Here are some common questions and answers about calcitonin.  

Is calcitonin covered by Medicare?

Your Medicare plan will most likely cover calcitonin. But your cost depends on your individual plan, the form of calcitonin you use, and whether you’re receiving your doses from a healthcare professional, or administering them yourself.

If a healthcare professional is administering your calcitonin to you, then your Medicare Part B plan may cover the drug.

If you’re self-administering the injection or nasal spray, then your Medicare Part D prescription drug plan may cover calcitonin. But it may be listed on a higher tier on your plan’s drug formulary. The higher the tier, the more you pay for the drug.

Speak with your pharmacist or insurance plan to learn more about what calcitonin will cost you.

Why are costs different for brand-name drugs vs. generic drugs?

Brand-name drugs can be expensive because of the studies needed to test how safe and effective they are.

Makers of a brand-name drug can patent and sell their drug for up to 20 years. When the patent for a brand-name drug expires, other drugmakers can make and sell generic versions. A generic medication is an identical copy of the active ingredient in a brand-name medication. An active ingredient is what makes medication work.

This competition may help keep the costs of generic medications lower. Also, generic medications contain the same active ingredients as brand-name medications. So they don’t require the same testing, which can be costly.

If you’d like to know more about the cost differences between brand-name and generic drugs, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

What to ask about calcitonin

This article provides cost information related to calcitonin. It also offers suggestions for ways to save money on your prescription. Above on this page, you’ll find coupons for calcitonin.

If you have more questions about paying for this medication, ask your doctor or pharmacist. You can also contact your insurance company.

Here’s a list of questions you may want to ask regarding the cost of your medication:

• How much is the cost difference between the nasal spray and injection?
• Is the cost of syringes and needles covered by my insurance?
• Are there other lower cost drugs that could treat my condition?

Resources

• Calcitonin salmon injection, synthetic, for subcutaneous or intramuscular use. (2019). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/7d4507aa-8e10-44a6-bc6e-3176aa8b23cc/spl-doc
• Calcitonin salmon nasal spray. (2023). https://nctr-crs.fda.gov/fdalabel/services/spl/set-ids/a5da2960-d113-4c6a-bb3f-c6ce65731b1f/spl-doc
• Food and Drug Administration. (2024). Orange Book: Approved drug products with therapeutic equivalence evaluations. https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cder/ob/index.cfm
• Miacalcin (calcitonin-salmon) injection, synthetic, for subcutaneous or intramuscular use. (2017). https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/017808s037lbl.pdf

Disclaimer: Optum Perks 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.