Kerendia and Cost: What You Need to Know

Kerendia (finerenone) is a prescription drug that’s used to help prevent problems from kidney disease related to type 2 diabetes. Kerendia’s cost may depend on factors such as your dosage, whether you have health insurance, and the pharmacy you use.

Specifically, Kerendia is used in certain adults to reduce the risk of the following:

• heart attack
• worsening kidney function
• hospital admission for heart failure
• end-stage kidney disease
• death from heart problems such as stroke

For more details on Kerendia, see this in-depth article. Keep reading for details on Kerendia and cost, and how to save money on prescriptions.

The price you pay for Kerendia can vary. It may depend on your treatment plan, your insurance coverage (if you have it), and the pharmacy you use.

To find out how much you’ll pay for Kerendia, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Note: If you have insurance, you may need to get prior authorization before your insurance provider will cover Kerendia. This means your insurer and your doctor will discuss Kerendia in regard to your treatment. Then the insurance company will determine whether the drug is covered. If Kerendia requires prior authorization and you don’t receive it before you start treatment, you could pay the full cost of the drug.

Administrative costs currently make up a major chunk of healthcare spending, especially in America. In fact, healthcare administrative spending accounts for 8% of the GDP in the U.S., or more than $1.485 trillion if looking at 2016 data. The cost of healthcare administration in other nations is just 3% of the GPD, on average, according to healthcare revenue news source RevCycleIntelligence.

Be sure to ask your insurance company whether Kerendia requires prior authorization.

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about Kerendia and cost.

What’s the annual cost of Kerendia treatment?

Your annual cost for Kerendia will depend on several factors. These include:

• whether you have insurance coverage
  • and if you do, what insurance plan you have

  The drugmaker provides the list price for a month’s supply of Kerendia. But the amount you’ll pay depends on the factors listed above.

  Talk with your insurance provider to learn your annual cost for Kerendia. Your pharmacy can tell you its price, but the drug cost may vary depending on the pharmacy you use.

  Is there a cost estimator I can use for Kerendia?

  Some insurance providers offer online drug cost estimators to help you gauge how much your medication may cost with their kind of coverage. Talk with your insurance provider to see whether it offers a drug cost estimator.

  NeedyMeds is another resource that provides helpful information about the cost of medications. You can search its drug pricing calculator to help estimate the cost of Kerendia at pharmacies near you.

  How much does Kerendia cost with Medicare?

  The amount you’ll pay for Kerendia depends on your Medicare plan. Not all drugs are covered by Medicare, and certain drugs may require prior authorization before Medicare will cover them.

  Also, you may have a Medicare copay and a deductible. Your copay is the fixed amount you’ll pay for a certain Medicare service, such as prescription drugs. Your deductible is the amount you’ll pay each year before your Medicare coverage kicks in.

  Talk with your Medicare provider about your plan details. They’ll be able to tell you your exact cost for Kerendia.

  Kerendia only comes as a brand-name drug. It’s not currently available in a generic version. A generic drug contains an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication but tends to cost less.

  Why is there such a cost difference between brand-name drugs and generics?

  Years of research and testing are needed to ensure that brand-name drugs are safe and effective. This testing can make the drugs expensive. The manufacturer of a brand-name drug can sell the drug for up to 20 years. After that, other drugmakers can create generic versions. This competition in the market can lead to lower costs for generics. And because generics have the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs, they don’t need to be studied again. This can also lead to lower generic costs.

  If you take Kerendia long term, you may be able to lower your costs in the following ways:

  Look into getting a 90-day supply of your medication. You may be able to get a 90-day supply of Kerendia if approved by your insurance company. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower the cost of Kerendia. If you’re interested in getting a 90-day supply of this drug, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

  Use a mail-order pharmacy to get your medication. Using a mail-order pharmacy might help lower your cost for Kerendia. Plus, you could get your medication without leaving home. Some Medicare plans may help cover the cost of mail-order drugs. You may also be able to get a 90-day supply of the drug through mail order. If you don’t have health insurance, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to suggest online pharmacy options that could work for you.

  If you need help covering the cost of Kerendia or understanding your insurance, check out these resources:

  • Kerendia Savings Card
  • NeedyMeds
  • Medicine Assistance Tool

  On these sites, you can find insurance information, details on drug assistance programs, and links to savings cards and other services.

  If you have questions about how to pay for your prescription, talk with your doctor or pharmacist.

  If you still have questions about the cost of Kerendia, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to give you a better idea of what you’ll pay for this drug. But if you have health insurance, you’ll need to talk to your insurance provider to learn the actual cost you’d pay for Kerendia.

  Examples of questions you may want to ask your doctor or insurance provider include:

  • Is the cost of Kerendia 10-mg tablets different than that of the 20-mg tablets?
  • Are there additional savings options for my copay if I have health insurance?
  • Are there other medications that can treat my condition that cost less?

  To learn more about Kerendia, see these articles:

  • Kerendia (finerenone)
  • Dosage Details for Kerendia

  To get information on different conditions and tips for improving your health, subscribe to any of Austra Health’s newsletters. You may also want to check out the online communities at Bezzy. It’s a place where people with certain conditions can find support and connect with others.

  Disclaimer: Austra Health 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.

  Last medically reviewed on November 10, 2022