9.8% of American children, around 6 million, have been diagnosed with ADHD. An effective solution to ADHD and ADD is Adderall. Insurance will cover almost every type of prescribed medication, including Adderall.
But, how much does Adderall cost without insurance? What factors influence the cost of Adderall? We answer these questions and more in the guide below.
What Does Adderall Cost Without Insurance?
While there are many factors that influence the cost of Adderall, you can typically expect to pay between $284 and $290.
Safety Disclaimer For Adderall
When a medical professional prescribes Adderall for something like ADHD, it’s safe and effective. In fact, today it’s one of the most popular medications doctors use to treat ADHD.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects how people act on impulse and their concentration levels. Adderall stimulates the brain and helps patients improve their focus and concentration. Once a doctor prescribes Adderall, it suppresses the effects of ADHD.
However, many high school and college students use Adderall as a drug to help with studying. Students abuse prescription pills to pull an all-nighter before a big exam or to get that extra boost during class.
Abusing Adderall is dangerous. These students that take the drug may experience Adderall psychosis.
Adderall psychosis makes the user unorganized and schizophrenic. This is caused by the excess dopamine traveling to the brain.
It’s crucial to only use Adderall when it’s prescribed to treat ADHD. It shouldn’t be something that you purchase over the counter or on store shelves.
Does Insurance Cover Adderall?
Insurance covers Adderall but only according to specific, regulated circumstances. These circumstances include:
- If the doctor has sufficiently proved that the patient requires Adderall. Healthcare workers or general practitioners need to provide the insurance company with additional information about why the medication is required. Doctors and insurance companies are hesitant to prescribe Adderall to anyone that isn’t diagnosed with ADHD or ADD.
- Whether a more affordable, generic option is available. Brand-name Adderall is available on insurance but with a higher fixed fee. Unlike the brand-name Adderall, the generic alternative is typically covered by insurance and other Medicare prescription plans.
The insurance company decides whether it will cover the cost of Adderall on a case-by-case basis. The same principle of Adderall being covered by insurance works for different versions of Adderall, including Adderall Immediate Release and Extended Release.
3 Factors That Affect The Cost Of Adderall
There are a few factors that affect the cost of Adderall, whether you have insurance or not. Let’s have a look at what those factors are.
Immediate Vs. Extended Release
Immediate Release Adderall is generally less expensive than Extended Release versions of the drug. Knowing the differences between these two types will help explain their price difference.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Immediate Release results in a quick increase in blood levels. If you’re someone with ADHD and suffer insomnia, you’d want the effects of the ADHD to wear off quicker. This is where Immediate Release works its magic.
However, there are other benefits to Immediate Release Adderall. If you need a quick rise in blood levels while receiving the effects of Adderall much quicker, the Immediate Release will work best.
This type of Adderall is less expensive than Extended Release options. The average price of an Immediate Release Adderall pack at CVS will cost you around $46 without insurance.
EXTENDED RELEASE
Unlike the Immediate Release version, the Extended Release is a long-term solution. Adderall XR is the name commonly used in many pharmaceuticals.
This option doesn’t change the active ingredient in Adderall, but it provides a different delivery mechanism. XR slowly releases the medication over an extended period. This means you get a more sustained release of the drug over a longer time.
Unlike Immediate Release, you aren’t going to get a spike in medication as soon as you take it. Instead, it will be a steady rise over a few weeks.
A box of 30 Adderall XR tablets without having insurance will cost you around $200 at your local CVS.
Brand Name Vs. Generic Options
Whether your Adderall is brand-name or generic can also influence the cost of your medication.
GENERIC OPTIONS
A common misconception is that branded drugs are more effective than their generic counterparts.
The truth is, while a generic drug will appear different in color and flavoring, the active ingredients are almost identical. The 4 amphetamine strains found in brand-name Adderall are still present in generic variations.
A generic drug is identical in strength, dosage, and form to a branded drug. For example, if the branded Adderall is a capsule taken orally, the generic drug follows suit.
Generic Adderall must meet the exact batch requirements as the branded drug to ensure that the strength, purity, and quality are similar.
BRAND-NAME OPTIONS
Branded drugs are more expensive because drug companies who manufacture them have obtained drug patents. This means no one else in the market can manufacture the drug until the patent expires.
This patent lasts around 17 years, and once it expires, other companies can start selling generic versions of the drug. Generic companies save the cost of manufacturing the drug hence why they are significantly cheaper.
The average cost of brand-name Adderall is around $285, while the generic equivalent is around $61. If you don’t care too much about brand names, then there’s no harm in going for the generic counterpart.
Your doctor will most likely recommend generic options if you aren’t insured, as the branded ones can rack up quite a bill.
Dosage
When you’re first prescribed Adderall, the doctors will recommend the lowest dosage to see how your body reacts to the effects of the drug.
There’s no point in starting with a full pack and finding out that your body or mind doesn’t agree with the tablet. These smaller doses are 5 mg, 7.5 mg, and 10 mg. The higher the dosage, the higher the price.
Before you increase your dosage, you must consult your doctor. You should never increase your Adderall dosage without guidance from a medical professional. Sometimes, the medication takes some time to work its way into your system.
For example, say you have increased hyperactivity, consistent weight loss, increased ADHD effects during the night, and loss of emotion. In that case, you need to consult your doctor. This will mean that the medication isn’t working, or you will need to up the dosage. However, only a doctor should determine this.
The higher dosage packs are 20 mg and 30 mg.
The cheapest Adderall on the market will be a month’s supply of 5 mg tablets. This will cost you around $293 at CVS.
The price will also change if you purchase Adderall daily, monthly, or yearly.
People who don’t require large or regular doses of the medication will opt for a daily amount. In contrast, the more regular patients may choose monthly and yearly packages.
How To Get Adderall Without Insurance
You don’t need insurance to get a prescription for Adderall.
If you believe you need Adderall it’s best to consult with a doctor. The doctor will listen to you and diagnose you before prescribing Adderall. Once you have a prescription you may go to your local pharmacy to obtain your medication.
Only doctors, psychiatrists, and neurologists have the authority to write a prescription for Adderall. Never purchase Adderall from unlicensed pharmaceuticals or without a prescription.
The only places where you should be going to collect your Adderall should be at a pharmacy, hospital, or registered clinic.
Frequently Asked Questions About Adderall
What Are The Negative Effects Of Adderall?
While there are many positive effects of using Adderall at the proper dosage, everybody reacts differently. Adderall has some known adverse effects that everybody should be aware of.
These side effects include increased heart rate, temperature, blood pressure, reduced appetite, paranoia and anxiety, a fever, insomnia, and an irregular heartbeat.
If you experience prolonged side effects like these, it’s best to stop the medication immediately and consult a medical professional.
Sometimes users of Adderall experience a form of an allergic reaction, and doctors will recommend alternatives or generic versions containing different ingredients.
Who Shouldn’t Take Adderall?
If you have any underlying health conditions, then you shouldn’t be taking Adderall.
For instance, if you have hyperthyroidism you should avoid Adderall. Hyperthyroidism is when your thyroid gland overproduces thyroid hormones.
Its symptoms include weight loss, fatigue, and muscle weakness, to name a few. Adderall worsens these symptoms and causes more thyroid hormones to be produced.
You should also avoid Adderall if you have glaucoma. This eye disease damages your optic nerve, and taking Adderall increases the effects and symptoms of the disease. If the symptoms worsen, you could lose vision entirely.
Finally, if you’re taking a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, you should never take Adderall with it. Your blood pressure will rise to the point where it’s life-threatening.
You should always consult a medical professional to see if you can use Adderall.
Is Adderall The Same As Ritalin?
Adderall and Ritalin are the most common ways doctors treat ADHD and ADD. While both drugs are very similar, they aren’t the same.
The difference between Adderall and Ritalin is in their active ingredients. Ritalin uses methylphenidate hydrochloride, whereas Adderall combines 2 to 4 types of amphetamine.
Simply put, Ritalin is similar to Immediate Release Adderall. It provides the user with a significant (peak) impact as soon as they take the drug.
One isn’t remarkably better than the other. It all depends on your individual needs and what the doctor recommends.
Can Adderall Be Used To Treat Depression?
Adderall has ingredients and effects that calm the mind and body, but you should never use it to treat depression, nor should you mix it with your antidepressants.
Many people believe that Adderall can be used to treat anxiety and depression but in most cases, it only worsens the symptoms.
You should always consult a medical professional about what medication will be helpful for your diagnosis and inform them of any medication, like Adderall, you’re taking. This will help them make an informed decision that can lead to a better, healthier lifestyle.
Does Adderall Affect Your Personality?
Adderall has negative effects on the overall psychology and emotions of some individuals. It exacerbates anxiety and can cause build-ups of rage, anger, irritability, and grandiosity.
Most of these effects happen due to higher doses of Adderall being taken or not following the recommended dosage from your doctor.
Regular doses will curb your hyperactivity and inattention, but they won’t change or affect your personality.
What Class Of Drug Is Adderall?
Adderall falls under the class of Stimulants. These are a type of drug that speeds up the transmission of messages between the brain and the body.
They can make a person feel more awake, alert, confident, or energetic.
Stimulant drugs are a type of psychoactive drug that improves physical or mental functioning temporarily, elevating mood and increasing feelings of well-being, and energy.
Uppers are commonly used as the more informal term to describe stimulants.
What Is Adderall Prescribed For?
Adderall is a prescription drug that’s prescribed to those with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, more commonly known as ADHD.
ADHD makes it hard to concentrate, stay organized, and pay attention to what’s going on around them.
The 3 main types of ADHD are impulsive, inattentive, and combined ADHD.
The impulsive type is the least common, inattentive involves inattention and distractibility, and combined is the most common ADHD type, combining both impulsive and inattentive.
If ADHD isn’t treated with Adderall, it can lead to chronic fatigue, depression, emotional outbursts, and performance issues in the workplace
ADHD looks different in every human so it can only be diagnosed by a trained, medical professional. This is why Adderall can’t be purchased from store shelves.
Conclusion
Not having insurance means you must pay out of your pocket for medication like Adderall. Doing this can affect your budget and lifestyle dramatically.
Luckily, there are affordable ways to get a health plan that provides coverage for your medical needs. Whether you have little to no income or are simply looking for affordable health insurance, let our experts match you with the best health plan for your needs. Get in touch with Enhance Health today.
