A 2 minute assessment to get a personalized mental health or alcohol recovery plan.
How much will naltrexone cost for alcohol treatment? That depends on several factors that should be considered to get the best value possible.
Quick Answer
For oral naltrexone (the form most people use for alcohol treatment), expect to pay anywhere from about $30 to $100+ a month for the medication alone, depending on the pharmacy.
Through a telehealth platform like Choose Your Horizon, where the prescription, clinician care, follow-up, and shipping are bundled, the cost runs about $66 to $89 a month.
Insurance, when available, typically covers about 50% of the cost. The injectable form (Vivitrol) is significantly more expensive at roughly $1,000–$1,500 a month and is not generic.
Key Takeaways
- Oral naltrexone is generic and affordable; the injectable form (Vivitrol) is brand-only and far more expensive.
- The biggest cost drivers are the prescription provider, the length of your treatment plan, and whether your insurance covers it.
- Telehealth tends to be cheaper overall because it bundles the visit, medication, and follow-up.
- Longer prescription plans (quarterly, bi-annual, annual) lower the per-month cost.
- Many insurance plans now cover naltrexone for alcohol use disorder, typically reducing the cost by about half.
What You'll Learn:
- Why naltrexone prices aren't fixed
- Why the daily naltrexone tablet is much less expensive than the injectable form
- How the prescription provider affects the cost of naltrexone
- How the length of treatment affects naltrexone cost
- Naltrexone costs when it's covered by health insurance
Most people want to know how much naltrexone costs before starting treatment for alcohol use, even though you can't really put a price on your health and wellbeing. And when you consider how much you'll save by buying less alcohol, the cost of naltrexone becomes very reasonable.
Most patients use naltrexone tablets for alcohol treatment rather than the injectable form because of cost. Injectable naltrexone, administered once a month, isn't generic, it's only available as Vivitrol, with monthly costs typically running $1,000+. The full prescribing details for both forms are on the FDA naltrexone label and the FDA Vivitrol label.
Because oral naltrexone is generic, it's much more affordable. But the price still varies quite a bit. Here are the three factors that have the biggest influence on what naltrexone costs when you're using it to get drinking under control.
How Much Does Naltrexone Cost? A Quick Reference
These are general U.S. ranges and will vary by state, pharmacy, and insurance plan.
How Does the Prescription Provider Affect Naltrexone Cost?
Naltrexone for alcohol use is a prescription medication, you can't buy it over the counter. The prescription provider you choose has the biggest single impact on what you'll pay.
If you want the least expensive naltrexone, online is usually the answer. An online naltrexone prescription from a telehealth provider tends to be cheaper than an in-office visit because there's no separate clinic copay or pharmacy markup. With in-office prescribing, you pay for the visit and the medication separately, plus a trip to the pharmacy.
Currently, the average retail price for a month's supply of naltrexone is in the $80–$100 range, and that's just for the medication, before any clinician visits.
A naltrexone online prescription from a provider like Choose Your Horizon eliminates several of those costs and saves time. The all-inclusive plans include shipping, clinician consultations for anti-alcohol medication, and online resources, at no additional cost.
When comparing online providers, every provider sets their own price. Make sure you understand exactly what's included so you can compare apples to apples. A "$30 a month" plan that doesn't include the clinician visit is a very different deal than a $66–$89 plan that does.
How Do Naltrexone Prescription Plans Affect the Total Cost?
The same buy-in-bulk logic that applies to most things applies to naltrexone. Most people take the medication for several months or longer, so committing to a longer plan up front lowers the per-month cost.
Here's what the structure looks like at Choose Your Horizon:
That works out to about $66 to $89 a month, depending on the plan you choose. To put that in perspective: if naltrexone helps you skip even one or two nights out drinking per month, it's already paid for itself. Or another way to look at it, for about $2.20 a day on the annual plan (less than the price of a single beer), you get prescription naltrexone, clinician care, and follow-up support that helps you save a lot more.
The takeaway: the longer the prescription plan, the more you'll save on naltrexone overall.
Does Insurance Cover Naltrexone for Alcohol Use Disorder?
Increasingly, yes. Naltrexone is recognized by the NIAAA Core Resource on Alcohol and the American Psychiatric Association as a first-line medication for alcohol use disorder, and more health insurers are catching up.
Whatever the prescription is offered for through your provider is what naltrexone costs without insurance. With insurance:
- Qualifying plans typically cover about 50% of the cost for oral naltrexone tablets when prescribed for alcohol use disorder.
- Coverage varies by plan, deductible, and state. Always confirm with your insurance provider.
- Telehealth visits may be billed separately from the medication, and not all plans cover both.
If you're considering naltrexone treatment, it's worth a quick call to your insurer to ask: "Do you cover naltrexone for alcohol use disorder, and what's my expected out-of-pocket cost?"
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is naltrexone without insurance?
Oral generic naltrexone runs $30–$100+ for a month's supply at retail pharmacies. Telehealth bundled plans, which include the medication, prescribing clinician, and follow-up care, range from about $66 to $89 a month.
Why is Vivitrol so much more expensive than oral naltrexone?
Vivitrol is a brand-name long-acting injectable formulation. There's no generic equivalent, which keeps the price high. Most people who use naltrexone for alcohol treatment use the oral generic form, which costs a small fraction of Vivitrol.
Does Medicaid cover naltrexone?
Medicaid covers naltrexone in most states for alcohol use disorder, though specific coverage rules vary. Check with your state Medicaid program.
Will naltrexone save me money compared to drinking?
For most chronic drinkers, yes, by a wide margin. A month of naltrexone often costs less than a single weekend of drinking, and that's before factoring in the savings on hangovers, ride shares, lost productivity, and medical risk.
Are GoodRx-style discount cards available for naltrexone?
Yes. Pharmacy discount programs can lower the retail price of generic naltrexone, but they don't include the clinician consultation, which you still need to get a valid prescription.
How does telehealth pricing compare to a regular doctor's office?
Telehealth tends to be cheaper overall because the consultation, medication, and shipping are bundled, and there's no separate copay for an in-person visit.
Ready to Get Started?
Getting an online naltrexone prescription for alcohol treatment is straightforward and affordable with Choose Your Horizon. All it takes is a few minutes to complete the free Alcohol Use Assessment to find out if you're a good candidate.
From there you can choose a treatment plan and schedule a virtual consultation. We can also help you check whether your health insurance covers part of the cost, and new patients can receive a 30% off discount.
We keep it simple with all-inclusive pricing that delivers value beyond the prescription medication.
