Key Takeaways
- Besremi is a shot for two rare blood conditions in which the body makes too many blood cells.
- The Besremi cost per month is about $22,000 a month at list price.
- Eligible patients may get Besremi at no cost from the manufacturer, and our prescription assistance team can handle the paperwork.
Besremi is an injection for polycythemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET), two rare conditions in which the bone marrow makes too many blood cells. Before insurance, Besremi costs more than $10,000 per month at list price.
There’s no cheaper generic or biosimilar version of Besremi, so what you pay depends mostly on how often you need a shot.
This guide explains what a month of Besremi costs on each injection schedule and the options that can help with the cost.
Besremi Cost Per Month Before Insurance
Each Besremi shot costs about $10,200 at list price. Treatment starts with one shot every two weeks, which comes to about $22,000 a month.
According to the prescribing information on DailyMed, people with PV whose blood counts stay stable for at least a year may move to one shot every four weeks. That brings the cost down to about $11,000 a month, and your doctor decides which schedule is right for you.
| Shot schedule | About per month | About per year |
|---|---|---|
| Every 2 weeks | $22,000 | $265,000 |
| Every 4 weeks (PV only, after a stable year) | $11,000 | $132,000 |
Besremi Affordability Options That Lower Your Monthly Bill
Besremi’s list price doesn’t have to be what you pay each month. Several affordability options can lower that bill, from the coverage you may already have to programs for people whose plan doesn’t cover Besremi.
What Health Insurance May Cover
Health insurance is often the first way to lower what you pay for Besremi. A commercial health plan may pay much of the price once your plan approves Besremi, but coinsurance or a deductible can still leave a large share.
Plans often ask for prior authorization, which means your doctor must get approval before the first fill. If your plan says no, your doctor can file an appeal or ask for a formulary exception.
Medicaid Coverage for Lower Incomes
If your household income is low, Medicaid may cover Besremi. Like other plans, it generally requires prior authorization. Once Medicaid approves it, your out-of-pocket cost is usually small.
Besremi at No Cost From PharmaEssentia
PharmaEssentia offers Besremi at no cost to people with no prescription coverage or a plan that won’t cover the medication. To qualify, you need a prescription from a U.S. doctor, a home in the U.S. or a U.S. territory, and income within its financial guidelines. Approval also depends on the manufacturer’s current criteria, and the application needs income documents and forms from your prescriber.
Prescription Hope’s Advocacy Service for Besremi
Prescription Hope can take PharmaEssentia’s application off your hands, from checking whether you qualify to filing the paperwork. The team collects your documents, gets the forms your hematologist needs to sign, and follows up with PharmaEssentia until there’s a decision.
The team also schedules your refills and handles the yearly renewal that keeps your approval in place. The medication is provided at no cost by the manufacturer, and the flat $70/month per medication covers the advocacy service for Besremi, whether you inject every two weeks or every four.
After you apply, the team lets you know within 48 business hours whether you’re eligible. Approved patients usually receive Besremi in 2 to 4 weeks, shipped by the manufacturer to their home or their doctor’s office.
Prescription Hope has provided prescription assistance to patients nationwide since 2006. It is not insurance, not a pharmacy, and not a coupon or discount card.
Keeping Besremi Affordable Over Long-Term Treatment
Because Besremi is a specialty medication, its monthly cost changes with your treatment plan, especially how many shots your doctor prescribes. Insurance or Medicaid may cover part of it, and if your plan won’t cover Besremi or you have no insurance, PharmaEssentia’s no-cost program may provide it to people who qualify.
Prescription Hope can handle the application, refills, and yearly renewal for one flat monthly fee, even if your shot schedule changes later. When the monthly cost is more than you can manage, you can see if your medication qualifies for help with Besremi.
FAQs About Besremi Cost
Does Besremi Cost the Same for Both Blood Conditions?
Not always. Each shot costs the same, but the ET label lists a shot every two weeks, while some people with PV can later move to one every four weeks. That means the monthly cost for ET usually stays at a higher amount.
What Happens to My Help If My Insurance Changes?
It depends on your new coverage. If you lose your insurance or your new plan won’t cover Besremi, you may qualify for PharmaEssentia’s no-cost program, and Prescription Hope can apply on your behalf. You can also try qualifying for Jakafi, another medication for polycythemia vera.
Why Is Besremi So Expensive?
Mostly because it’s a brand-name biologic for rare conditions, with no generic or biosimilar version to compete on price. Far fewer people use it than common medications, and specialty pharmacies, not regular drugstores, sell it.
