Spiriva and Cost: How to Find Savings and More (2024)

Spiriva (tiotropium) is a prescription drug used to treat specific breathing conditions. Spiriva’s cost may depend on factors such as your dosage, whether you have health insurance, and the pharmacy you use.

The price you pay for Spiriva can vary. To find out how much you’ll pay for this drug, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider. Or look below in the next section to learn how much you can save by using an Optum Perks coupon.

To save money on your Spiriva prescription, explore these Optum Perks coupons.

Spiriva Respimat only comes as a brand-name drug. It’s not currently available in a generic version. A generic contains an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication. A generic is considered just as safe and effective as the original drug but tends to cost less.

Spiriva HandiHaler is available as the generic drug tiotropium powder for inhalation. To find out how the costs of the brand-name and generic versions compare, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

If you’ve been prescribed Spiriva HandiHaler and you’re interested in using tiotropium powder for inhalation instead, talk with your doctor. They may recommend that you use one version instead of the other. You’ll also need to check with your insurance provider, as it may only cover one drug or the other.

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 exclusively 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 use Spiriva 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 Spiriva if approved by your insurance company. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower the cost of the drug. If you’re interested in a 90-day supply of Spiriva, 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 Spiriva Respimat. 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 Spiriva or understanding your insurance, check out these resources:

• Spiriva Respimat Savings Card
• NeedyMeds
• prescription discount programs

On these pages, 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.

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

Does Spiriva Respimat cost more than Spiriva HandiHaler?

The cost of different forms of Spiriva may vary. Spiriva Respimat comes as a liquid you spray into your mouth. And Spiriva HandiHaler comes as a very fine powder that you breathe in through your mouth. Any cost differences may depend on the dose form, your health insurance (if you have it), and the pharmacy you use.

To find out more about the cost difference between Spiriva Respimat and Spiriva HandiHaler, speak with your doctor or pharmacist. If you have health insurance, speak with your insurance provider.

What’s the cost of Spiriva without insurance vs. with insurance?

The cost of Spiriva without insurance versus with insurance can vary based on several factors.

Some factors that may affect your cost of Spiriva without insurance include:

• your treatment plan and drug dosage
• the form of Spiriva (Respimat or HandiHaler)
• the pharmacy you use
• the supply you’re prescribed, such as a 30-day or 90-day supply
• any cost savings programs you qualify for and apply for

The same factors affect your cost of the drug if you’re paying through insurance. But your cost with insurance may also depend on:

• your particular plan benefits
• any prior authorization requirements for your plan (see the “Prior authorization” section below for more information)

To find out more about your cost with and without insurance, check with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider (if you have one).

Whether you have insurance or not, you can visit Optum Perks* to get price estimates for Spiriva when you use coupons from the site. It’s important to note that Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with insurance copays or benefits.

* Optum Perks is a sister site of Healthline.

Is Spiriva covered by Medicare?

It may be. To find out whether your Medicare plan covers the cost of Spiriva, call your plan provider. There are many different types of Medicare plans, and your cost and coverage depend on your particular plan’s benefits.

Keep in mind that your plan may have prior authorization requirements before it will cover Spiriva. (See the “Prior authorization” section below for more information.)

You can also ask your doctor about the cost of Spiriva if you have Medicare.

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

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

If you still have questions about the cost of Spiriva, 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 with your insurance provider to learn the actual cost you’d pay for Spiriva.

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

• Which generic alternatives to Spiriva Respimat can you prescribe to lower my drug costs?
• Which savings program can save me the most on my Spiriva Respimat prescription?
• How does the cost of Spiriva Respimat and Striverdi Respimat compare with the cost of Stiolto Respimat?

To learn more about Spiriva, see these articles:

• All About Spiriva
• Side Effects of Spiriva: What You Need to Know
• Spiriva Interactions: Alcohol, Medications, and Others
• All About Spiriva’s Dosage

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Disclaimer: Healthline 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.