A provider's guide to helping patients afford Ella. Learn about insurance coverage, discount cards, telehealth options, and cost conversations that improve access.
When you prescribe Ella (Ulipristal Acetate), your patient faces a time-sensitive challenge: they need to fill that prescription quickly, and they need to afford it. For emergency contraception, any delay caused by cost concerns can directly affect the medication's effectiveness.
As a prescriber, you're in a unique position to proactively address cost. A 30-second conversation about pricing options during the visit can be the difference between a patient filling their prescription immediately or not filling it at all.
This guide covers what your patients are actually paying for Ella in 2026, every available savings pathway, and how to integrate cost discussions into your emergency contraception workflow.
Here's the current pricing landscape:
While the ACA mandates coverage of FDA-approved emergency contraception, real-world access isn't always seamless:
Unlike many brand-name medications, Ella does not have a widely advertised manufacturer copay card or savings program. The manufacturer (Perrigo Company plc, which acquired HRA Pharma) maintains the informational site ellarx.com but does not currently operate a traditional patient savings card program.
This means patients without insurance coverage rely primarily on third-party discount programs and pharmacy shopping.
Third-party discount cards are the most practical savings tool for uninsured or underinsured patients. Here are the most effective options for Ella:
GoodRx consistently offers the lowest prices for Ella, with coupons bringing the cost to approximately $39–$43 at major chain pharmacies. Patients can:
This is often the fastest, simplest cost-reduction strategy you can recommend.
SingleCare offers comparable discounts and is accepted at most major chains. Patients can access coupons through singlecare.com.
Optum Perks (formerly SearchRx) provides prescription discount cards with no membership required. Available at perks.optum.com.
Additional options include RxSaver, BuzzRx, and America's Pharmacy. While prices may vary, having multiple options gives patients flexibility if one card isn't accepted at their chosen pharmacy.
Clinical tip: Consider keeping a printed GoodRx coupon for Ella at your front desk or in your EMR quick-text library. When you prescribe Ella, you can hand the patient a coupon along with the prescription — eliminating the friction of having them search for one on their own.
Planned Parenthood clinics prescribe and dispense Ella, often on a sliding fee scale based on income. For patients without insurance, this can be significantly cheaper than a retail pharmacy — and it eliminates the separate office visit charge since the prescription and dispensing happen in one visit.
Federally Qualified Health Centers serve patients regardless of ability to pay and use sliding fee scales. Find locations at findahealthcenter.hrsa.gov. Many FQHCs stock emergency contraception or can help patients access it quickly.
Title X-funded family planning clinics provide contraception services, including emergency contraception, at reduced or no cost based on income. These clinics are specifically designed to address reproductive healthcare access.
For patients who face both cost and access barriers, telehealth platforms offer an all-in-one solution:
The $45 telehealth price often undercuts the combined cost of an office visit copay + pharmacy cash price, making it the most cost-effective option for many uninsured patients. However, telehealth platforms involve shipping time, which is a concern for a time-sensitive medication. Some platforms offer expedited or same-day delivery in select areas.
There is currently no FDA-approved generic version of Ella in the United States. This limits substitution options.
However, if cost is the primary barrier and the clinical window allows, providers can discuss therapeutic alternatives:
The clinical trade-off is clear: Levonorgestrel is cheaper and more accessible but less effective, especially after 72 hours. When the clinical situation favors Ella (particularly at days 3–5 post-intercourse, or in patients with higher body weight), cost-reduction strategies are preferable to therapeutic substitution.
For a comprehensive overview of alternatives, see Alternatives to Ella.
Emergency contraception visits are inherently time-pressured, so cost discussions need to be efficient. Here's a workflow that takes less than a minute:
"Do you have prescription coverage? Ella should be covered at no cost under most insurance plans."
"If you're paying out of pocket, the cash price is around $40–$90, but a GoodRx coupon can bring it down to about $40. Here's one you can show at the pharmacy."
"Not every pharmacy stocks Ella. Medfinder can help you check which pharmacies near you have it before you drive there. You can also try checking stock online."
"If you have trouble finding it locally, platforms like Nurx can ship it to you for about $45."
Cost is only half the equation. Even when patients can afford Ella, they often struggle to find it. Many retail pharmacies don't routinely stock it due to low, unpredictable demand and its prescription-only status. For a deeper understanding of this issue, see our provider-focused guides on Ella availability challenges and how to help patients find Ella in stock.
When prescribing Ella, consider calling ahead to a pharmacy to confirm stock, or directing your patient to Medfinder for providers to streamline the process.
For a single-dose emergency medication, Ella's cost shouldn't be a barrier — but it often is, especially for uninsured patients facing a $40–$90 pharmacy bill during an already stressful situation. Proactively addressing cost during the prescribing visit — with a GoodRx coupon, an insurance coverage reminder, or a telehealth referral — takes minimal time and can meaningfully improve the likelihood that your patient actually fills and takes the medication.
The most effective emergency contraception is the one the patient can actually access and afford. By integrating cost conversations into your workflow, you ensure that your clinical decision-making translates into real-world outcomes.
For more provider resources, visit Medfinder for Providers.
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