How to Help Your Patients Save Money on Ilevro: A Provider's Guide to Savings Programs

The cost of Ilevro is one of the most common barriers ophthalmologists face when managing cataract surgery patients. A retail price of $380–$482 per bottle means many patients abandon their prescription at the pharmacy counter — or never even attempt to fill it. Patients who don't use their post-surgical NSAID face significantly higher risk of complications including cystoid macular edema (CME).

This guide is designed to give you, the prescribing provider, a complete toolkit for proactively addressing Ilevro costs so your patients actually fill and use their prescriptions.

Understanding Why Patients Abandon Ilevro Prescriptions

Research on prescription abandonment shows that the most common reasons patients don't fill a specialty prescription are:

Sticker shock at the pharmacy — patients see $400+ and walk away

Unaware of available savings programs

Insurance denials or high tier copays without appeal guidance

Prior authorization delays leading to missed pre-surgical dosing window

Each of these is preventable with proactive patient counseling at your office. The following programs and strategies can dramatically reduce your patients' out-of-pocket costs.

Program 1: Harrow Connects Copay Savings Program

The Harrow Connects Copay Savings Program (harrowconnects.com) is the most powerful savings tool for commercially insured patients. Key details for counseling:

Savings: As little as $59 per prescription for both covered and non-covered commercially insured patients

Eligibility: Must have commercial insurance; NOT valid for Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, VA, DOD, or other federal/state programs

How patients access it: Download/print savings card from harrowconnects.com; present to pharmacist with prescription

Contact for questions: 1-316-219-4495

Practice tip: Include the harrowconnects.com URL on your pre-op instruction sheet. Having patients print or access the card before going to the pharmacy eliminates the single most common reason they walk away — price shock before they know savings exist.

Program 2: GoodRx and Cash-Pay Discounts

For patients who are uninsured, underinsured, or whose Medicare Part D copay exceeds $149, GoodRx is often the best option. Current GoodRx pricing (as of April 2026) reduces a 3 mL bottle of Ilevro to approximately $149 — a 67% savings from retail.

Harrow's November 2024 partnership with GoodRx was specifically designed to make Ilevro accessible through this platform. It's accepted at major chains including CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, Kroger, Rite Aid, and Publix.

Key caveat: GoodRx cannot be combined with insurance. The patient must use one or the other. For patients where insurance copay would be lower, advise running insurance first.

Program 3: Insurance Navigation for Commercial Plans

Ilevro is covered by approximately 84% of commercial insurance plans, typically on Tier 3 with a $52.50–$80 copay. To maximize insurance coverage for your patients:

Verify formulary before prescribing. Your EHR or electronic prescribing system can often query formulary status. If Ilevro is non-formulary, consider prescribing generic bromfenac or asking staff to initiate prior authorization.

Submit prior authorizations early. For plans that require PA, have your team submit it at the time of surgical scheduling — not the week before surgery. PA approval typically takes 3-7 business days; don't let your patient's pre-op dosing window close waiting for approval.

Appeal denials. If a commercial plan denies coverage, document the surgical indication and the clinical rationale for Ilevro specifically. Peer-to-peer appeals are often successful for post-surgical medications with clear clinical indication.

Program 4: Medicare Part D Management

Medicare patients — who represent a large majority of cataract surgery patients — present the most cost management complexity. Key considerations:

Ilevro is on Tier 3 of most Part D plans. Tier 3 copays typically range from $40-$100 depending on the specific plan. Harrow Connects and manufacturer savings cards are NOT valid for Medicare patients.

GoodRx may be less expensive. For Medicare patients whose Part D copay exceeds $149, using GoodRx as a cash-pay alternative may be less expensive. Have your staff help these patients compare options.

Medicare Extra Help. Low-income Medicare beneficiaries may qualify for the Extra Help program (also called Low Income Subsidy/LIS), which significantly reduces Part D cost-sharing. Refer patients to 1-800-MEDICARE or a SHIP counselor if they appear financially distressed.

Program 5: Patient Assistance Programs (Uninsured/Low-Income Patients)

For uninsured patients or those who cannot afford Ilevro even with discount programs:

Harrow PAP: Income eligibility approximately $40,000 for individuals, $60,000 for couples, $100,000 for families. Contact: 1-316-219-4495 or harrowconnects.com

Prescription Hope: prescriptionhope.com — advocacy service that facilitates manufacturer PAP access at ~$70/month

Generic alternatives: For patients who truly cannot afford Ilevro even with PAP, switching to generic ketorolac ($15-$50) or generic bromfenac ($80-$200) is clinically appropriate and far preferable to going without NSAID coverage.

Building Cost Counseling Into Your Pre-Op Protocol

The most effective approach is systematic, not reactive. Consider adding these elements to your standard pre-cataract surgical protocol:

Include Harrow Connects and GoodRx URL on pre-op instruction sheets

Train front desk and surgical scheduling staff to mention that savings programs are available for eye drop medications

Add medication cost verification to your pre-op nursing call: "Have you picked up your eye drops? Were you able to get assistance with the cost?"

Keep a printed summary of savings options at the front desk for staff to reference

medfinder can also support your practice by helping patients locate in-stock pharmacies for Ilevro. Visit medfinder.com/providers to learn more about how medfinder helps ophthalmology practices improve patient medication access.