Taking antibiotics without insurance can pose a financial consideration, which needs careful planning for effective treatment. Antibiotics either kill the bacteria or prevent their growth while treating bacterial infections. Each year at least 2.8 million people in the United States get an antibiotic-resistant bacterial infection, of which around 35000 people die, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The need for treatment can be shown with Pneumonia and meningitis: two severe bacterial infections that can even lead to death. According to the CDC, over 49,000 deaths due to Pneumonia and 3200 deaths due to meningitis causes us to think about how much are antibiotics without insurance.
Cost of Antibiotics Without Insurance
The cost of antibiotics without insurance can start from $4 for a generic drug to $150 for a brand-named antibiotic. The following are the most commonly prescribed antibiotics by doctors or clinical health professionals with their approximate estimated costs.
- Amoxicillin: $4-$20
- Azithromycin: $10-$100
- Cephalexin: $10-$40
- Doxycycline: $10-$80
- Levofloxacin: $50-$150
- Penicillin VK: $4-$20
The type of antibiotic, dosage, and duration of treatment plays a crucial role in deciding how much are antibiotics without insurance. Therefore, prices might fluctuate depending on the location or be lower at certain pharmacies than at other urban clinics.
According to the National Institute of Health (NIH), the most common bacterial infection found in women is urinary tract infections (UTIs), and they are responsible for 25% of nearly all conditions. The CDC reports also noted the 18% increase in antibiotic-resistant diseases in previous trends, making the people of America seek the cost of antibiotics without insurance.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 91.2% of the U.S. population has some health insurance coverage. However, you can understand that not every insurance covers everything; around 29.9 million people in America are uninsured and seeking the price of antibiotics without insurance to manage their monthly budget and expenditure.
We must consider that without insurance, an individual suffering from the illness may delay the medical treatment or forget the prescribed medication due to cost concerns. Most often, low-income and low-income families have to suffer the delay in medicine, which is why insurance gets most important in the life of a middle-class person.
Following are some common reasons why individuals suffer from the delay and may require an understanding price of antibiotics without insurance.
- Expensive Premium Costs and heavy deductibles
- Employment Status and Income Resources
- Pre-existing conditions or Comorbidity
- Age Criteria for Insurance
- Immigration status
- Lack of awareness
Recently the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has expanded the excesses to health insurance coverage for many people in America; you can always find affordable insurance through multiple resources available for low-income individuals and families in need.
How much do Antibiotics Cost?
Generic antibiotics cost between $10 to $50. However, we must notice that other factors influence choosing how much do antibiotics cost, whether the dosage, duration of treatment, or the location of the pharmacy; factors will be in the account of expensive antibiotics or the one that takes less money.
However, we must highlight some factors that deal directly with your search intent about how much do antibiotics cost; please catch the following vital elements plays in the total cost.
- Types of Antibiotic
- Dosage or Duration of Treatment
- Pharmacy Location
- Health Insurance
- Generic VS Brand Name
- Availability and Demand
Here, we have brought some common antibiotics that can tell us how much are antibiotics without insurance; the following table might get you an average estimation of the cost, dosage, and brand name.
| Sr No. | Antibiotic | Brand Name | Dosage | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Amoxicillin | Amoxil | 500mg, 28 capsules | $15-$30 |
| 2 | Amoxicillin-Clavulanate | Augmentin | 875mg/125mg, 20 tablets | $30-$80 |
| 3 | Ampicillin | Omnipen, Polycillin | 500mg, 28 capsules | $20-$40 |
| 4 | Azithromycin | Zithromax, Z-Pak | 500mg, 6 tablets | $20-$40 |
| 5 | Cefdinir | Omnicef | 300mg, 20 capsules | $70-$120 |
| 6 | Cefuroxime | Ceftin | 500mg, 20 tablets | $70-$120 |
| 7 | Cephalexin | Keflex | 500mg, 28 capsules | $20-$50 |
| 8 | Ciprofloxacin | Cipro | 500mg, 10 tablets | $30-$80 |
| 9 | Clindamycin | Cleocin | 300mg, 20 capsules | $60-$100 |
| 10 | Doxycycline | Vibramycin, Oracea | 100mg, 20 capsules | $20-$50 |
| 11 | Levofloxacin | Levaquin | 500mg, 10 tablets | $50-$100 |
| 12 | Metronidazole | Flagyl | 500mg, 14 tablets | $20-$50 |
| 13 | Nitrofurantoin | Macrobid | 100mg, 28 capsules | $30-$80 |
| 14 | Penicillin G Benzathine | Bicillin L-A | 1.2 million units, 1 injection | $30-$80 |
| 15 | Penicillin V | Veetids, Pen-Vee K | 500mg, 28 capsules | $20-$40 |
| 16 | Sulfamethoxazole-Trimethoprim | Bactrim, Septra | 800mg/160mg, 20 tablets | $20-$50 |
| 17 | Tetracycline | Sumycin | 500mg, 20 capsules | $30-$60 |
| 18 | Vancomycin | Vancocin | 125mg, 1 vial | $30-$80 |
| 19 | Zithromycin | Zmax | 2gm, 2 packets | $50-$100 |
| 20 | Linezolid | Zyvox | 600mg, 20 tablets | $2,000-$3,000 |
Kindly note that the above estimated cost for how much do antibiotics cost without insurnace is an average approximation for general guidelines only. The actual cost or price of an antibiotic may vary widely depending upon multiple factors that we had discussed earlier.
We recommend you be prepared for the medication expenses if you have any illness or disease because, even with traditional insurance coverage, you will be required to pay a certain amount, which you may or may not be able to afford.
See More: How to Get Insurance That Covers Tubal Reversal
How to get antibiotics without insurance?
Based on a study report by the Kaiser Family Foundation, uninsured adults are 25% more likely to die prematurely than insured adults. With evidential facts and report data about the population without insurance here, you must start your findings about getting antibiotics without insurance.
In one survey conducted by the Commonwealth Fund, in 2018, around 44% of uninsured adults or adults without insurance have experienced delayed or forgone medical treatment due to the expensive treatment compared to 16% of adults still having private insurance coverage.
People without insurance have to pay a higher cost than people with insurance. Moreover, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the data suggest that people without insurance have to pay four times more than those with insurance packages or insured by health coverage.
Over 1,400 community health center organizations operate across 13,000 locations in the United States; the survey by the National Association of Community Health Centers speaks to over 30 million Americans (some are Uninsured or Underinsured) who succeeded in finding out affordable healthcare services.
You do not need to worry if you do not have health insurance since we know how never to hide from our readers. Here, you shall get to see a blueprint for getting antibiotics without insurance.
- Generic Antibiotics
- Generic antibiotics are mostly less expensive in comparison to brand-named antibiotics. You can ask your pharmacist if a generic version is available for the antibiotic you require or have been prescribed by your doctor.
- Discount Programs
- Some several pharmacies or clinics provide discount programs to people who are not having insurance; discounted medications can save you from paying hefty amounts for expensive antibiotics.
- Federal Programs
- Government supports the people without insurance by providing them health security with coverage for antibiotics and other medication prescriptions. Federal programs like Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) cover the eligible recipients, especially low-income families.
- Charity Foundation
- Several charity foundations and community help centers like the salvation army and catholic churches provide the cost of antibiotics for free under their healthcare assistance for the necessary medical conditions of the patient or eligible recipient.
- Online Pharmacies
- You are more likely to avail yourself of the discounted offer in the online market by different pharmacies to sail through their products. You may get the same antibiotic at lower prices than the cost at a physical pharmacy.
Kindly note that only 3.5% of online pharmacies complied with pharmacy laws and standards of practice. You must confirm the reputation and licensed online pharmacy before making any purchase. You must not compromise the medication’s safety, quality, and effectiveness while finding cheap or low-cost antibiotics.
The severity of your illness and the strength of your immune system would preferably become a factor for your doctor to let you have a generic antibiotic medication. You can pay for a visit to have specific recommendations that can cheapen your antibiotic cost.
See More: The Fatigue Factor: Do Blood Thinners Make You Tired?
How much is a zpack without insurance costs?
We have already discussed here the dependent factors which would influence how much are antibiotics without insurance cost. However, here we can discuss the Z-Pack (azithromycin) medication with an extent to get a rough idea about the latest price.
The total cost will depend on location, dosage, period of treatment, and location. However, to estimate the average for how much is a Zpack without insurance costs, we can say around $20 to $40 for a 6-tablet pack of the Z-Pack azithromycin.
Here we have broken down how much is a Zpack without insurance costs.
| Pharmacy | Dosage | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Walmart | 250mg, 6 tablets | $10-$20 |
| Walgreens | 250mg, 6 tablets | $20-$30 |
| CVS | 250mg, 6 tablets | $20-$40 |
| Rite Aid | 250mg, 6 tablets | $20-$40 |
| Costco | 250mg, 6 tablets | $10-$20 |
In general, the brand-name version of the medication is more expensive than the generic version. The brand for Z-Pack (azithromycin) is Zithromax which is costlier than generic azithromycin. Although you can check your nearest pharmacy and compare the prices, since the cost is variable based on time and location, there is always a possibility that you might get your antibiotic at a cheaper rate than what we have described here and hence, the inverse.
See More: How Blue Cross Blue Shield IVF Coverage Benefits
Conclusion
In this article, we have briefly discussed the the price of antibiotics without insurance and the different ways to get them. We have also listed the antibiotic names with their brands, dosage, and respective average cost arranging them in the given table; we have also specifically highlighted the estimated average cost for Z-Pack (azithromycin) tablets.
FAQs
How much do antibiotics cost?
The estimated average cost for generic antibiotics ranges between $10 to $50, whereas the cost of brand-named antibiotics begins at $150 and may go beyond $1200.
How much is 1 course of antibiotics?
In general, the cost for one course of antibiotics may range between $10 to over $200 depending upon the type of antibiotics; for example, the generic antibiotic amoxicillin can cost between $15 to $30 for a 10-day course, whereas the more expensive antibiotic levofloxacin may cost you over $200.
Are prescribed antibiotics expensive?
They are not always expensive; some generic antibiotic like amoxicillin can cost you between $15 to $30, or Ampicillin cost between $20 to $40 for a prescribed single course; however, based on your cycle, the expenses would be calculated, generally, one process, is enough.
What happens if you cant afford antibiotics?
You can negotiate with your healthcare provider or ask him or her if you can have the generic version of the prescribed antibiotic. Many government assistance and community health clinics provide antibiotics for the free or lowest cost possible, which you can afford.
