Eliquis is the most prescribed blood thinner in the country, and unlike a lot of brand-name drugs without a generic, its affordability story changed dramatically for 2026 — not because of a new coupon, but because of a federal policy that directly reset its Medicare price. That makes this guide a little different from most drug-specific savings pages: the manufacturer programs matter, but the bigger story for a huge share of Eliquis patients is what Medicare itself now charges. Here's every path, sorted by exactly who each one is for.
1. The Eliquis Co-Pay Card: As Low as $0
Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer jointly run the Eliquis Co-Pay Card for commercially insured patients. It's not a discount card in the GoodRx sense — it's a manufacturer copay assistance program that applies on top of your existing insurance claim.
| Detail | Terms |
|---|---|
| Minimum possible cost | As little as $0 per month |
| Eligible pharmacies | Participating retail pharmacies; mail-order or non-participating pharmacies require a rebate form |
| Membership fee | None |
| Card validity | Current program terms expire December 31, 2026 |
| Purchase requirement | Not conditioned on any past or future purchase, including refills |
2. Full Eligibility Requirements
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Insurance type | Commercial/private insurance that covers Eliquis |
| Residency | United States, Puerto Rico, or select U.S. territories |
| Government insurance | Disqualifying — Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, or other federal/state programs excluded |
| Card reproduction | Reproduced or counterfeited cards are void |
This is not health insurance, and Bristol Myers Squibb and Pfizer reserve the right to rescind, revoke, or amend the offer at any time without notice — so it's worth re-checking the card's current terms periodically rather than assuming this year's numbers carry forward indefinitely.
3. The Free 30-Day Trial for New Patients
This is a separate, additional program specifically for patients who are new to Eliquis, and it's more generous than the standard ongoing Co-Pay Card.
| Detail | Terms |
|---|---|
| Cost per fill | As little as $10 per 30-day supply |
| Tablet quantity | Up to 74 tablets for the first fill, up to 60 for subsequent fills |
| Duration | Available for up to 24 months |
| Annual maximum benefit | Up to $6,400 |
| Eligibility | Commercially insured new patients only |
4. Does This Count Toward Medicare TrOOP?
This question comes up constantly, and the manufacturer's own terms answer it directly for the Free 30-Day Trial specifically.
No. Patients may not count the Free 30-Day Trial's savings as an expense incurred for purposes of determining out-of-pocket costs for any plan, including true out-of-pocket costs (TrOOP), for calculating the Medicare Part D out-of-pocket threshold. This matters less in practice than it might seem, since Medicare beneficiaries aren't eligible for either manufacturer program in the first place — but it's worth understanding if you're helping a family member sort out which of their savings actually count toward their annual Part D cap.
5. The Big 2026 Change: Medicare's Negotiated Price
This is the detail that makes Eliquis genuinely different from most other brand-name drugs on the market right now. Eliquis was one of the first medications selected for Medicare's Drug Price Negotiation Program under the Inflation Reduction Act, and the negotiated price took effect January 1, 2026.
What this means in practice: unlike the manufacturer's Co-Pay Card, this negotiated price applies automatically to Medicare Part D coverage of Eliquis — it isn't something you enroll in separately. Combined with the $2,000 annual out-of-pocket cap now in place for Part D drugs generally, most Medicare beneficiaries taking Eliquis should see meaningfully lower costs in 2026 than in prior years, without needing to apply for anything.
6. If You're Uninsured: Direct-to-Patient Pricing
Bristol Myers Squibb expanded its direct-to-patient program to include Eliquis, offering eligible cash-pay patients pricing more than 40% below the current list price, purchased directly from the manufacturer rather than through a traditional pharmacy transaction. This sits alongside — not instead of — third-party discount cards and any patient assistance program Bristol Myers Squibb or Pfizer may separately offer for lower-income uninsured patients.
7. Every Path to Paying Less, Side-by-Side
| Path | Who it's for | Typical cost |
|---|---|---|
| Co-Pay Card | Commercially insured | As little as $0/month |
| Free 30-Day Trial | New, commercially insured patients | As little as $10/30-day fill |
| Medicare negotiated price | Medicare Part D beneficiaries | $231/month, $2,000/year cap |
| Direct-to-patient (BMS) | Uninsured, self-pay | 40%+ off list price |
| Third-party discount card | Anyone, insured or not | Roughly $260-$400/month depending on pharmacy |
| Medicaid | Medicaid enrollees | Typically minimal copay, subject to state formulary rules |
| No coverage, no program | Uninsured, no assistance | $520-$800/month |
8. Step-by-Step: How to Enroll
Confirm your insurance category
Determine whether you're commercially insured, on Medicare, on Medicaid, or uninsured, since each path above only applies to one category.
Enroll online or by phone
Commercially insured patients can enroll at eliquis.bmscustomerconnect.com/savings or by calling 855-354-7847 to activate the Co-Pay Card or check Free Trial eligibility.
Print or save your card
Print the card or save it digitally so it's ready at the pharmacy counter for your next fill.
Present both cards at the pharmacy
Give the pharmacist your insurance card first, then the Eliquis savings card, so it's applied as a secondary payment on top of your insurance claim.
Call for help with mail-order pharmacies
If you use mail order or a non-participating pharmacy, call 866-279-4730 to request a patient rebate form instead of presenting the card directly.
9. Why Cost Matters More With This Drug
Eliquis carries a boxed warning — the FDA's strongest safety label — about increased risk of stroke and blood clots if the medication is stopped prematurely. That makes cost-driven non-adherence a genuine safety issue here in a way it isn't for many other prescriptions.
An industry analysis found that nearly 30% of new Eliquis prescriptions are never filled at all, a pattern that correlates strongly with out-of-pocket cost at the pharmacy counter. If cost is the reason you or someone you're helping hasn't filled or has been skipping doses, working through the options in this guide — rather than going without — is directly relevant to reducing that risk.
10. Common Rejection Reasons
| Reason | Fix |
|---|---|
| Enrolled in Medicare, Medicaid, or TRICARE | Not eligible under any circumstance — use the negotiated Medicare price or your Medicaid benefit instead |
| Pharmacy doesn't participate in the card network | Call 866-279-4730 for a mail-order/non-participating pharmacy rebate form |
| Reproduced or altered card presented | Reprint an original card directly from the official enrollment site |
| Free Trial used after the 24-month or $6,400 cap | Transition to the standard ongoing Co-Pay Card once trial benefits are exhausted |
11. Decision Tree: Which Path Is Yours?
Check Bristol Myers Squibb's direct-to-patient discount alongside a third-party discount card before paying full cash price.