1. Will my insurance cover Viagra?
  2. What does Viagra cost out-of-pocket?
  3. Cheaper alternatives to Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra
  4. Is Viagra covered by Medicare or Medicaid?
  5. How do PDE5 inhibitors treat erectile dysfunction?
  6. Make the right choice for your budget

If you have any medical questions or concerns, please talk to your healthcare provider. The articles on Health Guide are underpinned by peer-reviewed research and information drawn from medical societies and governmental agencies. However, they are not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

If you're looking to try Viagra to treat your erectile dysfunction (ED), you might be surprised by what a big dent this little blue pill can make in your wallet. Considering ED is a medical condition with far-reaching impacts on your health and quality of life, you might think it's a given that Viagra (and other erectile dysfunction drugs that work in a similar way) would be covered by insurance. Unfortunately, that's not always the case.

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As with any medication, treatment, or diagnostic test, every health insurance plan has different policies about what they will and won't cover. Many insurance companies have a listing of drugs they'll cover under different plans available on their websites.

For instance, some large group plans under Blue Cross Blue Shield appear to cover a portion of the cost of Viagra, as well as other phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) inhibitors (the drug class Viagra is a part of), such as Cialis and Levitra (Blue Cross Blue Shield, 2021). Cigna also seems to cover these medications under some of their plans (Cigna, 2021).

No matter what insurance plan you have, it's important to call your insurance provider to verify which medications they'll cover and under what circumstances. They may have certain requirements for prior authorization (where someone from the insurance company will need to review the prescription from your healthcare provider before authorizing coverage). Or, they might limit how much you can get at once and how many refills are available. You'll also need to find out about any copayments.

Viagra is not the only medication available to treat erectile dysfunction. When you call your insurance provider for verification, be sure to also ask about insurance coverage for any of the following medications as well (if Viagra isn't covered):

  • Sildenafil citrate (this is the active ingredient in Viagra; see Important Safety Information)
  • Cialis (or its generic counterpart, tadalafil; see Important Safety Information)
  • Levitra (vardenafil)
  • Stendra (avanafil)

If your insurance provider covers certain medications but not others, speak with your healthcare provider to see if switching to a covered medication makes sense for you. Your insurance provider may also offer different coverage for different dosages or uses. For example, Cialis is available in two ways: as-needed (2.5 mg, 5 mg, 10 mg, or 20 mg) or daily (2.5 mg and 5 mg) (Brock, 2016). Your insurance may cover one but not the other.

If your insurance does cover any of these medications, you may still need to pay a copay, or coverage may only go into effect after meeting your deductible. Every plan is different.

If your insurance plan does not cover Viagra, the out-of-pocket drug costs can be quite high. It can cost up to $2,000 for 30 pills of a 100 mg dose (GoodRx-a). Every pharmacy offers its own rates, though, so it's worth shopping around.

The cash price for Cialis varies widely based on the dosage. For the lowest dose (2.5 mg), Cialis generally costs around $350 for 30 pills, while the highest dose (20 mg) can cost over $2,000 (GoodRx-b).

The average retail price for Levitra is around $1,700 across all dosages for 30 pills (GoodRx-c).

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Finally, Stendra, which is a less commonly prescribed medication for ED, costs around $1,600 out-of-pocket (GoodRx-d).

Don't feel too discouraged by those steep prices, though! There are more affordable options available.

Cheaper alternatives to Viagra, Cialis, and Levitra

While there isn't currently a generic version of Stendra available (it's still under patent, so only the brand name is available for now), there are cheaper versions of the other three PDE5 inhibitors on the market.

There are two cheaper versions of sildenafil citrate (the active ingredient in Viagra) available: generic Viagra and generic Revatio (see Important Safety Information).

Generic Viagra is similar to Viagra and comes in the same doses.

Revatio is a medication that's FDA-approved for treating a specific type of high blood pressure in the lungs (Croom, 2008).

It may seem confusing, but Revatio has the same active ingredient as Viagra. The difference is that it comes in different strengths. While Viagra comes in 25 mg, 50 mg, and 100 mg tablets, Revatio comes in 20 mg tablets. Some healthcare providers prescribe generic Revatio at doses of 20 mg, 40 mg, 60 mg, 80 mg, or 100 mg to treat ED. However, this is considered off-label prescribing since Revatio, and its generic form are not specifically FDA-approved for ED.

Generic Revatio is a much more affordable alternative to Viagra, available for as low as $10 for 30 doses of 100 mg (depending on the pharmacy) (GoodRx-e).

The active ingredient in Cialis is tadalafil, which is a longer-acting medication than sildenafil citrate (that means it lasts longer in the body), but it's about equally effective (Gong, 2017). You can get tadalafil for around $20 for 30 doses (with some minimal variation with different doses) (GoodRx-f). And, of course, it depends on which pharmacy you use.

8 natural remedies and treatments for erectile dysfunction

Levitra is the brand name for vardenafil, which is another PDE5 inhibitor that treats ED in a similar way to sildenafil citrate and tadalafil (Morales, 2009). Vardenafil is quite a bit cheaper than brand name Levitra but is still relatively pricey, costing close to $250 on average for 30 doses (GoodRx-c).

If you're on a Medicare or Medicaid plan, you will need to look into your specific plan benefits to find out about prescription drug coverage. In general, there's a better chance of one of the generic versions—sildenafil citrate, tadalafil, or vardenafil—being covered under your Medicaid or Medicare plan than their brand name counterparts. Medicare part D plans are for prescription drug coverage.

Viagra, Cialis, Levitra, and their generic counterparts are all examples of PDE5 inhibitors, medications that treat sexual dysfunction in men. PDE5 inhibitors block an enzyme called PDE5. This enzyme, when not blocked, breaks down cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), which is a chemical that causes the blood vessels in the penis to relax. When PDE5 is blocked (with PDE5 inhibitors), cGMP levels increase, causing better blood flow to the penis. Better blood flow to the penis makes for stronger erections (Huang, 2013).

All of these medications work in similar ways, with some differences in how long they last in the body and side effects. Ultimately, the medication you choose will depend on your healthcare professional's medical advice, as well as what will fit best in your budget. Call your insurance provider to find out if any of these medications are covered under your plan. If they're not covered, shop around for the most affordable options offered by different licensed pharmacies.

  1. Blue Cross Blue Shield. "Blue Cross Clinical Drug List – January 2021." Retrieved from https://www.bcbsm.com/content/dam/public/Consumer/Documents/help/documents-forms/pharmacy/clinical-drug-list-formulary.pdf on January 20, 2021.
  2. Brock, G., Ni, X., Oelke, M., et al (2016). Efficacy of Continuous Dosing of Tadalafil Once Daily vs Tadalafil On Demand in Clinical Subgroups of Men With Erectile Dysfunction: A Descriptive Comparison Using the Integrated Tadalafil Databases. The Journal of Sexual Medicine, 13(5), 860–875. Doi: 10.1016/j.jsxm.2016.02.171. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27114197/
  3. Cigna. "Cigna Performance 3-Tier Prescription Drug List – starting January 1, 2021." Retrieved from https://www.cigna.com/static/www-cigna-com/docs/individuals-families/member-resources/prescription/performance-3-tier.pdf on January 20, 2021.
  4. Croom, K. F., & Curran, M. P. (2008). Sildenafil: a review of its use in pulmonary arterial hypertension. Drugs, 68(3), 383–397. Doi: 10.2165/00003495-200868030-00009. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18257613/.
  5. Gong, B., Ma, M., Xie, W., Yang, X., Huang, Y., Sun, T., Luo, Y., & Huang, J. (2017). Direct comparison of tadalafil with sildenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction: a systematic review and meta-analysis. International Urology and Nephrology, 49(10), 1731–1740. Doi: 10.1007/s11255-017-1644-5. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5603624/.
  6. GoodRx-a. Viagra (sildenafil); 2020. Retrieved from https://www.goodrx.com/viagra?dosage=100mg&form=tablet&label_override=Viagra&quantity=30&sort_type=popularity on January 20, 2021.
  7. GoodRx-b. Cialis (tadalafil); 2020. Retrieved from https://www.goodrx.com/cialis on January 20, 2021.
  8. GoodRx-c. Levitra (vardenafil); 2020. Retrieved from https://www.goodrx.com/levitra?dosage=20mg&form=tablet&label_override=Levitra&quantity=30&sort_type=popularity on January 20, 2021.
  9. GoodRx-d. Stendra (avanafil); 2020. Retrieved from https://www.goodrx.com/stendra on January 20, 2021.
  10. GoodRx-e. Sildenafil (generic Revatio, Viagra); 2020. Retrieved from https://www.goodrx.com/sildenafil on January 20, 2021.
  11. GoodRx-f. Tadalafil (Cialis); 2020. Retrieved from https://www.goodrx.com/tadalafil-cialis on January 20, 2021.
  12. Huang, S. A., & Lie, J. D. (2013). Phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE5) Inhibitors In the Management of Erectile Dysfunction. P & T : A Peer-Reviewed Journal for Formulary Management, 38(7), 407–419. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3776492/.
  13. Morales, A. M., Mirone, V., Dean, J., & Costa, P. (2009). Vardenafil for the treatment of erectile dysfunction: an overview of the clinical evidence. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 4, 463–472. Doi: 10.2147/cia.s3878. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2801586/.