How Much Does COVID Antiviral Pill Paxlovid Cost With and Without Insurance?

Paxlovid is currently being used to treat mild-to-moderate COVID-19. According to the U.S. Department of health, Paxlovid distribution is still being managed by the federal government and should be prescribed at no cost to individuals with or without insurance. There is plan in place, however, to end this program by the end of the year. Paxlovid is a combination of nirmatrelvir tablets and ritonavir tablets developed and manufactured by Pzifer.

Although the FDA recently authorized pharmacists to prescribe Paxlovid without a prior prescription, the majority of pharmacies still require a prescription to dispense Paxlovid. 

According to Pfizer's recent press release on October 13, 2023, it will price Paxlovid at $1,390 per course of treatment. Notice this is the MSRP, insurance and government programs will pay much less than that. While the medication itself may be free, some pharmacies might charge a fee for the clinical assessment required to prescribe it, such as CVS, which charges up to $60 for this service

New FLiRT Variant Information:

• A group of related variants called "FLiRT variants" are becoming dominant, with KP.2 now causing about 28% of U.S. infections as of early May 2024.
• These variants have independently evolved the same set of mutations that help them evade antibodies while still binding effectively to cells.
• The current COVID vaccines may be less effective against these newer variants, especially for those who haven't been vaccinated or infected recently.
• While these variants could potentially cause a summer surge in cases, severe outcomes are expected to remain much lower than in earlier pandemic waves due to built-up immunity in the population.