$35 Inhaler Programs: Symbicort, Spiriva, Breo and Trelegy
Three of the biggest inhaler makers cap what eligible patients pay at $35 a month. The caps cover private insurance and no insurance, but not Medicare. Here is which inhalers they cover, how to get the price at the pharmacy, and what helps if you are on Medicare.
By mendmeds · Published · 4 min read
The short version
- AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim and GSK each capped out-of-pocket costs for their asthma and COPD inhalers at $35 a month for eligible patients, starting in 2024 or by January 2025.
- As of November 2026, all 4 inhalers mendmeds tracks have a maker card that quotes the $35 ceiling: Breo Ellipta, Spiriva, Symbicort and Trelegy Ellipta.
- The caps work through copay help, which the makers say federal rules bar for people on Medicare, Medicaid and other government coverage.
- On Medicare, the yearly out-of-pocket cap ($2,100 in 2026) is the main limit, and Breo Ellipta and Trelegy Ellipta get Medicare negotiated prices on January 1, 2027.
Which inhalers the $35 caps cover
Each maker announced its cap in March 2024 and applied it to its whole line of asthma and COPD inhalers. The lists include rescue inhalers as well as daily ones: GSK’s covers Ventolin HFA, and AstraZeneca’s covers Airsupra.
| Maker | Cap started | Inhalers it named |
|---|---|---|
| AstraZeneca | June 1, 2024 | Airsupra, Bevespi Aerosphere, Breztri Aerosphere and Symbicort |
| Boehringer Ingelheim | June 1, 2024 | Atrovent HFA, Combivent Respimat, Spiriva HandiHaler, Spiriva Respimat, Stiolto Respimat and Striverdi Respimat |
| GSK | January 1, 2025 | Advair Diskus, Advair HFA, Anoro Ellipta, Arnuity Ellipta, Breo Ellipta, Incruse Ellipta, Serevent Diskus, Trelegy Ellipta and Ventolin HFA |
As each maker listed them when it announced the cap. Check the maker’s site for its current list.
The inhalers mendmeds tracks
| Inhaler | Maker | Card | What you pay | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Breo Ellipta | GSK | Breo Ellipta $35 Co-pay Savings Card | pay no more than $35 per month | No insurance or private insurance |
| Spiriva | Boehringer Ingelheim | Boehringer Ingelheim $35 Inhaler Copay Program - Spiriva | no more than $35 per month | No insurance or private insurance |
| Symbicort | AstraZeneca | Symbicort $35 Savings Card | no more than $35 per 30-day supply (1 inhaler) | No insurance or private insurance |
| Trelegy Ellipta | GSK | Trelegy Ellipta $35 Co-pay Savings Card | as little as $0 and no more than $35 per month | Private insurance |
Terms as each maker states them. Each inhaler’s page links the source and the date we checked it.
How to get the $35 price
- Boehringer Ingelheim (Spiriva and its other inhalers) says that for eligible patients with private insurance, the lower price is applied automatically at participating retail pharmacies, with no forms. If yours does not take part, or you have no insurance, you enroll for a savings card at InhalerOffer.com and show it at the pharmacy.
- AstraZeneca (Symbicort and its other inhalers) and GSK (Breo Ellipta, Trelegy Ellipta and its other inhalers) use savings cards or coupons, which you get from the inhaler’s website and give to your pharmacist.
- If you are charged more than $35 a month, ask the pharmacist whether the card was applied.
With private insurance, the card may not count toward your deductible if your plan runs a copay accumulator. Copay accumulators and maximizers explains how to tell.
If you have no insurance
The cards for Breo Ellipta, Spiriva and Symbicort take people without insurance, so the $35 price works for you too. If $35 a month is still too much, the makers’ free-drug programs for Breo Ellipta, Spiriva and Trelegy Ellipta take uninsured people under an income limit, listed in the table further down.
If you have Medicare
The $35 caps do not apply. They are copay help, and the makers say federal rules exclude people in government insurance programs from it. Three other things limit what you pay:
- The yearly cap. In 2026, the most you pay out of pocket for covered Part D drugs is $2,100; it rises to $2,400 in 2027.
- Negotiated prices. From January 1, 2027, Medicare’s negotiated price for a 30-day supply of Breo Ellipta is $67, against a 2024 list price of $397, and Trelegy Ellipta’s is $175, against $654. Your plan’s copay or coinsurance still applies. Anoro Ellipta is on the list for 2028. Medicare negotiated drug prices has the full lists.
- Extra Help. If your income and savings are limited, Extra Help lowers what you pay for each covered prescription to a small copay.
Some makers also give inhalers free through patient assistance. These are the programs mendmeds tracks for its inhalers:
| Inhaler | Program | Household income limit | Medicare Part D |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breo Ellipta | GSK For You Patient Assistance Program - Breo Ellipta | 300% of the poverty level | Not accepted |
| Spiriva | BI Cares Foundation - Spiriva PAP | 200% of the poverty level | Not taking new Medicare enrollees |
| Trelegy Ellipta | GSK For You Patient Assistance Program - Trelegy Ellipta | Not recorded | Accepted |
The poverty-level table turns each income limit into dollars for your household size.
Common questions
Is there a $35 inhaler cap for Medicare?
Not from the makers: their caps exclude Medicare and other government coverage. On Medicare, the Part D yearly cap limits what you pay ($2,100 in 2026), and Breo Ellipta and Trelegy Ellipta get negotiated prices from January 1, 2027.
Which inhalers have a $35 cap?
The asthma and COPD inhalers from AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim and GSK, including Symbicort, Spiriva, Breo Ellipta, Trelegy Ellipta, Advair and Ventolin HFA, for eligible patients.
Can I get a $35 inhaler without insurance?
Yes, for some. Of the inhalers mendmeds tracks, the cards for Breo Ellipta, Spiriva and Symbicort take people without insurance.
Does the $35 cap cover rescue inhalers?
For two makers, yes. GSK’s cap includes Ventolin HFA, and AstraZeneca’s includes Airsupra.
Want the numbers for your own prescription? Pick your drug and see which programs it offers, what each one requires, and the source we checked.
Sources
- AstraZeneca: caps patient out-of-pocket costs at $35 per month for its US inhaled respiratory portfolio (March 18, 2024)
- Boehringer Ingelheim: caps patient out-of-pocket costs for its inhaler portfolio at $35 per month (March 7, 2024)
- GSK: cap of $35 per month on US patient out-of-pocket costs for its asthma and COPD inhalers (March 20, 2024)
- Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: What you need to know about the $35 price cap on asthma inhalers
- CMS: Negotiated prices for initial price applicability year 2027 (fact sheet)
Keep reading
This article is general information, not medical, legal or financial advice. Program rules change, so check the program’s own page before you apply.