Key takeaways:
Nexplanon (etonogestrel) is a birth control implant that is inserted into the upper arm and can prevent pregnancy for up to 5 years. Nexplanon is sold and implanted directly by your prescriber.
Without insurance, the cost for the Nexplanon insert is about $1,275. There may also be other treatment costs, such as insertion or removal fees.
Because Nexplanon is sold and administered by healthcare professionals, and not through pharmacies, you can’t use a GoodRx coupon. If you don’t have insurance, you may be able to save money through programs that provide free or low-cost birth control.
Save on related medications
If you don’t want to take a birth control pill or have an intrauterine device (IUD) inserted, Nexplanon (etonogestrel) may be an attractive alternative.
Nexplanon is an FDA-approved birth control implant. It’s a small, flexible rod that a healthcare professional inserts under the skin of your upper arm. Nexplanon is more than 99% effective at preventing pregnancy for up to 5 years.
While it works well, Nexplanon has a relatively high up-front cost. In many cases, insurance plans fully cover the cost of the device. But how much is Nexplanon without insurance? Below are details about the device’s cost and ways you could potentially save on it.
How much does Nexplanon cost without insurance?
As of January 2026, the manufacturer’s list price for Nexplanon is $1,275.36 per implant. Over a 5-year period, that works out to about $21 per month (which may be less than other birth control methods). But in many cases, you’d be expected to pay for the device up front.
The list price may also be lower than what your healthcare professional’s office charges you. Not only could there be markups on the device itself, but the office may also charge fees for insertion or removal. So your out-of-pocket costs would likely be higher than the list price.
Which factors affect the cost of Nexplanon?
What you pay for Nexplanon depends on several factors:
Where you live
How much your healthcare professional’s office charges for it
Cost of visits with your healthcare professional, which could include consultations, insertion and removal fees, and follow-up appointments
Whether you have insurance that covers it
Is Nexplanon covered by insurance?
Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), health insurance plans must cover preventive care — including birth control — without charging out-of-pocket costs such as copays or coinsurance. But they’re not required to cover every brand of birth control. What’s more, some religious employers don’t have to cover birth control.
And while many commercial, ACA, and Medicaid plans cover Nexplanon, many Medicare plans do not.
If you have insurance, check your plan’s summary of benefits and coverage and formulary (list of covered medications) to determine whether Nexplanon is covered.
How insurance covers Nexplanon
Nexplanon is covered for most people with insurance other than Medicare. Most health insurance plans covering this medication don’t require prior authorization or step therapy (trying other medications first). But prior authorization will be required for about 1 in 7 people with Medicaid and about 1 in 11 people with commercial insurance plans not purchased through the ACA marketplace.
The following chart shows your likelihood of coverage, or your chances of facing restrictions — such as prior authorization and step therapy — based on your type of insurance.
Insurance type | Enrollees covered for this medication | Enrollees required to get a prior authorization | Enrollees required to do step therapy |
|---|---|---|---|
Commercial (not including plans purchased through the ACA marketplace) | 84.9% | 8.6% | 0% |
61.1% | 5.4% | 0% | |
Medicare, including original Medicare and Medicare Advantage plans | 18.7% | 0% | 0% |
Medicaid, including state-run and managed care plans | 69.7% | 13.5% | 1.2% |
Source: Managed Markets Insight & Technology, LLC™, as of October 17, 2024. (See methodology below.)
What to do if Nexplanon isn’t covered by your insurance
Here are a few options to try if your insurance doesn’t cover Nexplanon:
Request a formulary exception from your insurance company. Keep in mind that you may be required to do step therapy or get a prior authorization to be covered.
If your request is denied, file an appeal with your plan.
Ask your prescriber if they offer payment plans for Nexplanon. This can help you avoid having to pay for the cost of the device up front.
When it’s time for open enrollment, compare different health insurance plans to find one that provides better coverage for what you need.
Ask your prescriber about alternatives
Nexplanon isn’t the only option for birth control. If Nexplanon isn’t covered by your insurance, ask your prescriber about alternatives. They may suggest:
Hormonal IUD, such as Mirena (levonorgestrel)
Hormone-free IUD, such as Paragard (copper IUD)
Medroxyprogesterone (Depo-Provera, also called the “depo shot”)
Vaginal ring birth control, such as NuvaRing (etonogestrel / ethinyl estradiol)
Birth control patches, such as Xulane (norelgestromin / ethinyl estradiol)
Combination birth control pills, such as Junel 1/20 (norethindrone / ethinyl estradiol)
Progesterone-only birth control pills, such as Slynd (drospirenone)
Ways to save on Nexplanon
If your insurance doesn’t cover Nexplanon, there may still be ways to save money. Consider these tips.
Good to know: You can use a GoodRx coupon for savings with some medications, but there are no coupons for Nexplanon. This is because the device is inserted in a prescriber’s office and isn’t sold in a pharmacy.
1. Compare prices among healthcare professionals
You may be able to have your implant inserted by a physician, nurse practitioner, or other licensed healthcare professional. The cost of the device and the price of your visit may vary depending on who performs the procedure. So it can pay off to call around before making an appointment.
Keep in mind that healthcare professionals have to be trained to insert Nexplanon. So not all offices will be able to provide this service.
2. Check with local healthcare organizations
There are facilities and clinics that can help you access lower-cost birth control. They typically review your income to assess financial need. Consider these options:
Planned Parenthood
Health departments
Safety-net hospitals and clinics
Campus health centers (if you’re currently enrolled at a college or university)
3. Use tax-advantaged healthcare funds
Consider using a health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement arrangement (HRA) to purchase Nexplanon. These accounts let you use pretax dollars to pay for qualified medical expenses. This can help you lower your spending through tax savings.
Be sure to review the details for using your HSA, FSA, or HRA funds. FSA funds have an expiration date. But HSA and HRA funds typically roll over and can be saved for later use.
Frequently asked questions
You can get the Nexplanon birth control implant at many healthcare professionals’ offices or clinics. The insertion procedure is relatively quick and doesn’t require sedation. But healthcare professionals have to be trained to insert the implant. So not all are able to provide Nexplanon.
Maybe, but it depends on your insurance plan. The ACA requires insurance plans to cover preventive services, including birth control, without copays or coinsurance.
But insurance providers don’t have to cover every brand of birth control. If they don’t cover Nexplanon, they should cover an alternative. Also, some religious employers are exempt from the ACA’s requirements and don’t need to cover birth control.
Nexplanon lasts for up to 5 years. But you can have it removed prior to this if needed or preferred.
Certain health centers, such as Planned Parenthood, may offer Nexplanon removal for free or at a lower cost. And some insurance plans may cover the removal fee at a healthcare professional’s office or clinic. It’s best to call around or check with your insurance plan ahead of time, so you know what to expect.
You can get the Nexplanon birth control implant at many healthcare professionals’ offices or clinics. The insertion procedure is relatively quick and doesn’t require sedation. But healthcare professionals have to be trained to insert the implant. So not all are able to provide Nexplanon.
Maybe, but it depends on your insurance plan. The ACA requires insurance plans to cover preventive services, including birth control, without copays or coinsurance.
But insurance providers don’t have to cover every brand of birth control. If they don’t cover Nexplanon, they should cover an alternative. Also, some religious employers are exempt from the ACA’s requirements and don’t need to cover birth control.
Nexplanon lasts for up to 5 years. But you can have it removed prior to this if needed or preferred.
Certain health centers, such as Planned Parenthood, may offer Nexplanon removal for free or at a lower cost. And some insurance plans may cover the removal fee at a healthcare professional’s office or clinic. It’s best to call around or check with your insurance plan ahead of time, so you know what to expect.
The bottom line
Nexplanon (etonogestrel) is a birth control implant that lasts for up to 5 years. The manufacturer’s list price for Nexplanon is nearly $1,300. And your healthcare professional may charge additional fees, such as an insertion or removal fee. So your total out-of-pocket costs would likely be higher than the list price.
Many insurance plans fully cover Nexplanon, so you may not need to pay copays or coinsurance for it. Certain healthcare organizations may be able to help you access Nexplanon at a lower cost. Consider looking for federally qualified health centers or health departments near you to see if they can help make Nexplanon more affordable.
Why trust our experts?
Methodology
We obtained national prescription coverage data for each medication from Managed Markets Insight & Technology (MMIT). The data reflects health insurance coverage as of October 2024.
We calculated the percentage of enrollees in plans that cover each medication by dividing the number of enrollees covered for the medication within a specific insurance channel (e.g., ACA, Medicare, Medicaid) by the total number of enrollees in all plans within that channel.
We determined the percentage of enrollees in plans with a prior authorization requirement by calculating the proportion of enrollees in plans that required prior authorization for the medication within each channel.
Finally, we measured the percentage of enrollees in plans with a step therapy requirement by calculating the proportion of enrollees in plans that imposed step therapy requirements for the medication in each channel.
These estimates, derived from national MMIT coverage data, provide insight into health insurance coverage for each medication. They take into account restrictions such as prior authorization, step therapy, and quantity limits. The percentages are expressed relative to the total number of enrollees covered by various insurance channels, including ACA plans, commercial (excluding ACA) plans, Medicare, and Medicaid (both state-run and managed care plans).
References
Healthcare.gov. (n.d.). Federally qualified health center (FQHC). Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Healthcare.gov. (n.d.). Health benefits & coverage: Birth control benefits. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Medicaid.gov. (n.d.). Managed care. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Organon. (n.d.). Can you get Nexplanon for free?
Shah, N. (2026). Contraceptive Pearl: New FDA REMS requirement on Nexplanon. Reproductive Health Access Project.
