Jardiance Cost Without Insurance: What Are Your Options?
By BetterBuyRx Editorial Team
Written for cost and savings education only, not medical advice, and not medically reviewed. Always confirm details with your doctor or pharmacist. See our methodology.
Last updated
Jardiance (empagliflozin) costs hundreds of dollars a month at U.S. pharmacy counters (CMS put its 2023 list price at $573 for a 30-day supply), and no generic is available at U.S. pharmacies. In BetterBuyRx's July 18, 2026 verified snapshot, the lowest prices were international mail-order pharmacies starting at $158.99/month (PlanetDrugsDirect). For Medicare enrollees, 2026 brought real relief: a negotiated price of $197/month. For everyone else, affording this SGLT2 inhibitor comes down to manufacturer programs and channel choice.
Verified Jardiance prices, July 2026
| Source | Price (30 days) |
|---|---|
| PlanetDrugsDirect (international) | $158.99 |
| RxConnected.com (international) | $199.00 |
Both verified low quotes were international mail-order services, a pattern typical of on-patent brands, where U.S. discount cards can only trim a high list price. No BetterBuyRx partner-network price cleared our verification bar that day; check the live Jardiance page for current U.S. quotes. International orders ship from licensed pharmacies abroad and take weeks to arrive, so they fit planned refills, not urgent ones. FDA personal-importation rules are also restrictive, so verify any pharmacy's credentials first.
Why Jardiance costs so much
Empagliflozin, approved in 2014, is protected by active patents with no U.S. generic entry yet, and demand has grown far beyond diabetes, since its labeling now spans type 2 diabetes, heart failure, and chronic kidney disease. A drug with expanding indications and zero generic competition holds its price; the full breakdown is in why is Jardiance so expensive.
Medicare enrollees: use the 2026 negotiated price
Jardiance was among the first ten drugs in the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. Effective 2026, its negotiated price is $197 for a 30-day supply, 66% below the 2023 list price of $573, per CMS. Combined with the $2,100 annual Part D out-of-pocket cap for 2026 (Medicare.gov), a Medicare patient's worst-case drug year is now bounded; details in our Part D cap guide. Formulary tiers still vary by plan, so confirm Jardiance's tier during open enrollment.
No insurance? The realistic sequence
- Boehringer Ingelheim patient assistance. The manufacturer's assistance program can provide Jardiance free to uninsured, income-eligible patients; see patient assistance programs for the application playbook.
- Manufacturer savings card: commercial insurance only. If you have private coverage with a high copay, the Jardiance savings card can cut it substantially; uninsured and government-insured patients are excluded, as explained in manufacturer copay cards.
- International mail-order: $158.99 to $199/month verified in July 2026, roughly 65 to 72% below the CMS-reported U.S. list price.
- Regimen review with your prescriber. Jardiance often rides alongside cheap generics; metformin was $3.95/month in the same snapshot (see metformin vs. Jardiance cost). If insulin is in your regimen, insulin cost caps may apply. Never change a diabetes regimen on cost alone; bring the prices to your prescriber and decide together. Class-wide prices live on our diabetes page.
Frequently asked questions
How much does Jardiance cost without insurance?
U.S. retail cash prices for Jardiance run hundreds of dollars monthly; CMS reported a $573 list price for a 30-day supply in 2023. In BetterBuyRx's July 2026 snapshot, verified international mail-order pharmacies quoted $158.99 to $199 per month.
Is there a generic for Jardiance?
No generic empagliflozin is sold at U.S. pharmacies; Jardiance's patents are still in force. International pharmacies fill the same molecule at lower prices, and Medicare's negotiated $197 price took effect in 2026.
What is the Jardiance price on Medicare in 2026?
Jardiance's negotiated Medicare price is $197 for a 30-day supply effective 2026, 66% below its 2023 list price of $573, per CMS. Your copay depends on your plan's tier and your coverage phase, with all Part D out-of-pocket costs capped at $2,100 in 2026.
Can I just take metformin instead of Jardiance to save money?
They're different drug classes that prescribers often use together, not substitutes you can swap on your own. Metformin cost as little as $3.95/month in the same July 2026 snapshot, but whether your regimen can change is strictly a clinical decision.
Sources
Compare prices & find savings
This guide is for cost and savings education only. It is not medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before making any changes to your medications. Prices vary by pharmacy, location, quantity, and eligibility, and they change over time.
Related guides
- Patient Assistance Programs: Who Qualifies and How to Apply
How manufacturer and nonprofit patient assistance programs work, who typically qualifies by income, and what documents you need to apply.
- How Manufacturer Copay Cards Work (and Their Limits)
Manufacturer copay cards can lower what you pay for a brand-name drug, but they have real limits. Learn who can use them and where they fall short.
- Medicare Part D Costs in 2026: The Out-of-Pocket Cap Explained
Learn how the $2,100 Medicare Part D out-of-pocket cap works in 2026, what counts toward it, and how it changed from prior years.
- Insulin Cost Caps: What's Federal Law and What Varies
See how the $35 Medicare insulin cap works, which states cap insulin costs for commercial insurance, and what is still not covered nationally.