The price you pay for Reblozyl (luspatercept-aamt) injection may depend on factors such as your dosage and whether you have health insurance. Financial assistance may be available to help you with the cost of Reblozyl.

Several factors can affect the price you’ll pay for Reblozyl. These include:

  • your treatment plan
  • your insurance coverage, if you have a medical plan
  • the cost of the visit to your healthcare professional to receive doses of Reblozyl
  • available financial assistance for Reblozyl (see the “Financial and insurance assistance” section)

To find out your cost for Reblozyl, talk with your doctor or insurance provider.

Reblozyl is a biologic drug, which means it’s made from parts of living organisms. It doesn’t come in a biosimilar form. Biosimilars are like generic drugs. But unlike generics, which are made for nonbiologic drugs, biosimilars are made for biologics.

Why is there such a cost difference between biologic drugs and biosimilar drugs?

Biologic drugs can be expensive because of the research and testing needed to ensure their safety and effectiveness. The manufacturer of a biologic drug can sell it exclusively for up to 12 years. When the biologic drug’s patent expires, other drugmakers can create biosimilar versions. This competition in the market may lead to lower costs for biosimilars. And because biosimilars are very similar to biologic drugs, they don’t need to be studied again. This can lead to lower costs for biosimilars.

If you need financial support to pay for Reblozyl or help understanding your insurance coverage, assistance is available. For example:

  • A program called BMS Access Support is available for Reblozyl. For more information and to find out whether you’re eligible for support, call 800-861-0048 or visit the program website.
  • Some websites provide details about drug assistance programs and ways to make the most of your insurance coverage. Some also provide links to savings cards and other services. Two such websites are:

Here are answers to some commonly asked questions about Reblozyl’s cost.

Is Reblozyl covered by Medicare?

It may be. You can call your Medicare plan provider to learn whether your particular plan covers the cost of this drug. Many types of Medicare plans exist, so your coverage and what you pay for prescriptions will be based on your particular plan’s benefits.

The total price you pay for Reblozyl also may depend on the cost to receive injections at your doctor’s office or clinic. You also may need to obtain prior authorization before your plan will cover the cost of this medication.

Your doctor also may be able to provide information about your cost for Reblozyl if you have Medicare.

What’s Reblozyl’s cost per year?

Your cost of Reblozyl per year will depend on several factors. These include:

  • the condition Reblozyl is treating
  • your dosage
  • your treatment plan and frequency of injections
  • whether you have medical coverage
  • your particular plan benefits, including your drug copay amount
  • whether you apply and qualify for a cost-savings program

Your doctor and insurance provider, if you have one, can discuss this in more detail with you. They also may be able to suggest things to help with the drug’s cost.

You may want to consider the following information if you have insurance and receive Reblozyl.

Prior authorization: If you have insurance, your insurance company may require prior authorization before it covers Reblozyl. This means the company and your doctor will discuss the drug in regard to your treatment. The insurance company will then determine whether Reblozyl is covered. If a drug requires prior authorization, but you start treatment without the prior approval, you could pay the full cost of the medication. You can ask your insurance company whether Reblozyl requires prior authorization.

Type of insurance coverage: Reblozyl is given by your doctor or another healthcare professional. If you have insurance, the price of your Reblozyl doses may be billed through your medical coverage instead of the prescription drug portion of your insurance plan. This depends on your specific insurance plan and where you receive your Reblozyl doses, such as at your doctor’s office, an infusion clinic, or a hospital. If you have questions about this process, contact your doctor or your insurance provider.

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.