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Biologics · COPD & Asthma

Nucala Assistance Programs & Grants

Assistance information last verified: August 2026

AltaMedicare is an independent Medicare agency in Alpine, Utah, founded by Bret Swope, a licensed Medicare agent. We provide educational, no-pressure help comparing Medicare Advantage, Medigap (Medicare Supplement), and Part D at no cost, serving the entire state of Utah. Call or text (435) 292-5548.

Manufacturer programs, charitable grants and Medicare routes for Nucala (mepolizumab) — each checked on its official source.

Can I get help paying for Nucala?

Yes — and Nucala's GSK rules are genuinely different from the rules for GSK's inhalers, which is the thing to get right before applying. There is no prescription-spending threshold and the income limit is higher, but anyone enrolled in Medicare Extra Help is excluded. Every applicable charitable fund was closed.

  • GSK Patient Assistance Program (Nucala route): no $600 spending threshold, income up to $63,840 for one person — but you CANNOT be enrolled in Medicare Extra Help, and no Medicaid, VA, DOD or TRICARE. Phone 1-844-225-5894.
  • This differs from GSK's inhalers on purpose. Anoro, Breo and Incruse require $600 already spent and cap income at $47,880, but do not exclude Extra Help enrollees.
  • NUCALA Copay Program: commercial insurance only — GSK requires that "You're not eligible for, or enrolled in, a government-funded program".
  • No generic and no biosimilar: DailyMed labels exactly one mepolizumab product.
  • Charitable grants: TotalAssist lists Nucala on its Asthma and COPD funds and the health-equity version of each — all four closed, $1,200 guaranteed / $3,500 maximum. HealthWell's Asthma and COPD funds were closed too. Good Days has no applicable fund.
  • Not a Medicare-negotiated drug for 2026, 2027 or 2028.

2 of the 6 programs we checked for Nucala were accepting applications when verified in August 2026.

About Nucala (mepolizumab)

Nucala is an injected biologic — a monoclonal antibody given every four weeks — used as an add-on treatment when inhalers alone are not controlling severe eosinophilic asthma and certain related conditions. Because it is a biologic rather than an inhaler, it sits on a Part D specialty tier and follows GSK's specialty assistance rules, which are materially different from the rules for GSK's inhalers.

Approved uses

  • Add-on maintenance treatment of severe asthma with an eosinophilic phenotype
  • Add-on maintenance treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in patients with an eosinophilic phenotype
  • Other eosinophil-driven conditions for which GSK holds approval — confirm the exact indication on your own prescription with your prescriber

Manufacturer: GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)

Why Nucala can be expensive on Medicare

Nucala is a brand-only biologic with no generic and no biosimilar — DailyMed labels exactly one mepolizumab product. Part D plans place it on a specialty tier, where you usually pay a percentage of the price rather than a flat copay, and almost always behind prior authorization. Coinsurance on a specialty-tier biologic tends to reach the annual out-of-pocket cap in the first months of the year rather than spreading evenly across it.

Medicare coverage context

Nucala is covered under Medicare Part D or a Medicare Advantage drug plan when you inject it yourself at home, generally on a specialty tier with prior authorization. If it is administered in a clinic, the billing route can differ, so ask your prescriber's office which benefit your doses will run through before you plan around a copay figure. Nucala is not a Medicare-negotiated drug: CMS's selected-drug and Maximum Fair Price file has no Nucala or mepolizumab row for 2026, 2027 or 2028. Part D out-of-pocket costs are capped at $2,100 in 2026, and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan can spread what you owe across the year — which for a specialty-tier biologic is often the difference between an affordable January and an impossible one.

Check typical Part D coverage · Estimate your drug costs · Compare Part D drug plans

Nucala assistance options at a glance

Every program we checked, what kind of help it is, whether people with Medicare can use it, and its status when we verified it. A medication being listed by a program is not the same as the program accepting applications.

About the income limits below: Income limits can differ between assistance programs even when both describe their eligibility as the same percentage of the federal poverty level. The dollar limits shown here come from each program's own published income table, and each program decides which year's poverty guidelines that table is built from and when it takes effect. Treat the figures as belonging to the program they are listed under — they are not interchangeable, and only the program can tell you which table it is applying to your application today.

Nucala assistance programs compared
ProgramType of helpPeople with MedicareStatus (August 2026)
GSK Patient Assistance Program — Nucala Manufacturer patient assistance with conditions Accepting applications
NUCALA Copay Program Commercial copay / savings card not eligible Accepting applications
GSK Direct to You — Nucala not offered Manufacturer self-pay pricing not stated No program found
TotalAssist — Asthma and COPD funds Charitable grant may apply Closed to new applicants
HealthWell Foundation — Asthma and COPD funds Charitable grant may apply Closed to new applicants
Good Days — no applicable fund Charitable grant not stated No program found
Medicare Extra Help (Part D Low-Income Subsidy) Government program may apply Accepting applications

Manufacturer programs from GSK (GlaxoSmithKline)

A patient assistance program (free or low-cost drug by income) is not the same as a copay card (a commercial discount that usually excludes Medicare). Both are listed so you can see which one applies to you.

Manufacturer patient assistance

GSK Patient Assistance Program — Nucala

GSK Patient Access Programs Foundation (an independent 501(c)(3) charitable foundation)

Accepting applications Medicare: with conditions

Status: Accepting applications on August 26, 2026. Nucala appears on the program's published "List of eligible products" and has its own Medicare eligibility page, separate from the one GSK applies to its inhalers.

A genuine free-medicine program for Nucala, run by GSK's independent charitable foundation, with a Medicare pathway written specifically for this medication rather than borrowed from GSK's inhalers.

If you have Medicare: Medicare beneficiaries may apply, and the terms are more generous than GSK's inhaler route in two ways and stricter in one. More generous: there is NO requirement to have spent $600 on prescriptions this calendar year, and the income ceiling is $63,840 for one person rather than $47,880. Stricter, and this is the disqualifier people hit: you cannot be enrolled in Medicare Extra Help, and you cannot have Medicaid, VA, DOD or TRICARE coverage. If you already have Extra Help, this program is closed to you — but Extra Help itself is usually the better deal for a specialty-tier drug, so that is not necessarily bad news.

What it can cover: Nucala at no cost to approved patients, supplied through the program.

Who may qualify

  • Live in the United States, Puerto Rico or the US Virgin Islands
  • Have a Medicare prescription drug plan, but cannot afford your medicine
  • NOT enrolled in Medicare Extra Help (the Part D Low-Income Subsidy)
  • No coverage through Medicaid, the VA, the Department of Defense or TRICARE
  • Maximum annual gross income (48 states and DC): $63,840 for one person, $86,560 for two, $109,280 for three, $132,000 for four, adding $22,720 for each additional person
  • Higher limits apply in Alaska ($79,800 for one person) and Hawaii ($73,440); Puerto Rico limits are lower ($48,000)
  • No prescription-spending threshold — unlike GSK's route for its inhalers

What the application asks for

  • Proof of household income
  • Your Medicare prescription drug plan details
  • Confirmation that you are not enrolled in Extra Help, Medicaid, VA, DOD or TRICARE coverage
  • Your prescriber's signature — both patient and provider must sign and date the enrollment form

How to apply

Complete and print the enrollment form (available in English and Spanish) from the Nucala Medicare eligibility page. Both you and your provider must sign and date it. Return it to GSK Patient Assistance Program, 2250 Perimeter Drive, STE 300, Morrisville, NC 27560. Call 1-844-225-5894 with questions.

Nucala Medicare eligibility and enrollment → 1-844-225-5894

Commercial copay / savings card

NUCALA Copay Program

GSK

Accepting applications Medicare: not eligible

Status: Active for commercially insured patients on August 26, 2026. Nucala is one of only seven GSK medicines with a copay program — the Ellipta inhalers have dollars-off coupons instead.

A commercial copay offer for people with private or employer insurance. Recorded here mainly so Medicare readers can rule it out quickly and move to the assistance program, and so anyone moving from commercial insurance onto Medicare knows the support changes at that moment.

If you have Medicare: GSK's condition is that "You're not eligible for, or enrolled in, a government-funded program", which excludes Medicare Part B, Medicare Part D, Medicare Advantage and Medicaid. This is the standard federal anti-kickback position on manufacturer copay support. GSK directs people with Medicare to the patient assistance foundation instead, which for Nucala is the correct route.

What it can cover: Part of the commercial copay or coinsurance for Nucala. Not applicable to Medicare cost-sharing.

Who may qualify

  • Commercial (private or employer-sponsored) insurance that covers Nucala
  • Not eligible for or enrolled in a government-funded program, including Medicare and Medicaid

How to apply

Commercially insured patients enrol through the Nucala copay program site. Medicare beneficiaries should apply to the GSK Patient Assistance Program above instead.

NUCALA Copay Program →

Manufacturer self-pay pricing

GSK Direct to You — Nucala not offered

GSK (dispensed by Alto Pharmacy)

No program found Medicare: not stated

Status: On August 26, 2026 GSK Direct to You offered Advair Diskus, Advair HFA, Anoro Ellipta, Arnuity Ellipta, Incruse Ellipta, Malarone, Relenza and Ventolin HFA at published cash prices. Nucala was not on the list, and no published cash price for it exists.

An honest negative. GSK does publish cash prices for several of its inhalers, but not for its biologics — so unlike Anoro or Incruse, there is no cash benchmark to hold your Part D coinsurance up against here.

If you have Medicare: Not applicable — Nucala is not part of the program, so it states no Medicare rule.

How to apply

Not applicable. If GSK adds Nucala it would appear on the Direct to You product list cited here.

GSK Direct to You →

Charitable grants for Nucala

Nucala appears on four TotalAssist funds — Asthma, COPD and the health-equity version of each — and all four were closed on August 26, 2026, each paying $1,200 guaranteed up to $3,500. HealthWell's Asthma and COPD – Medicare Access funds were closed as well, and Good Days runs no applicable fund. Two things are worth saying plainly about this picture. First, there is no narrower eosinophilic fund to fall back on: no foundation on this list runs one. Second, the award sizes are calibrated to inhaler costs rather than biologic costs — $3,500 against specialty-tier coinsurance is help, not a solution. So set alerts on TotalAssist and HealthWell, but treat the GSK patient assistance program, Extra Help and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan as the load-bearing routes for this medication.

Charitable grant

TotalAssist — Asthma and COPD funds

Patient Advocate Foundation · Asthma · Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) · and the health-equity version of each

Closed to new applicants Medicare: may apply

Status: All four applicable funds were closed to new applicants on August 26, 2026, each with a $1,200 guaranteed and $3,500 maximum award. TotalAssist has no waitlist, so the notification sign-up is what gets you in.

"Nucala (Mepolizumab)" is named on both the Asthma and the COPD approved-medication lists, reflecting its eosinophilic indications in each. Four funds to watch, all closed when we checked. Note the award ceiling: $3,500 is meaningful against an inhaler copay and considerably less so against specialty-tier coinsurance on a biologic.

If you have Medicare: These funds require government-insured coverage — Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE — that covers your qualifying expenses. Medicare beneficiaries are eligible when a fund is open, and unlike GSK's program these funds do not exclude Extra Help enrollees.

What it can cover: When open: $1,200 guaranteed award and up to $3,500 maximum for medication copays, coinsurance, deductibles and health-insurance premiums. One grant per condition.

Who may qualify

  • Confirmed asthma or COPD diagnosis, in treatment, starting within 60 days, or treated in the past 6 months
  • Government-insured coverage (Medicare, Medicaid or TRICARE) that covers your qualifying expenses
  • Household income at or below 500% of the federal poverty level, adjusted for your regional cost-of-living index
  • Confirmed diagnosis matching the fund, and in treatment (or starting within 60 days, or treated in the past 6 months)
  • Legal U.S. resident receiving treatment in the U.S. or a U.S. territory
  • The health-equity funds additionally require a home zip code in a designated social-vulnerability county

What the application asks for

  • Contact information and Social Security number (or alien number)
  • Annual household income (for pre-screening; proof of income due within 30 days of approval)
  • Health insurance carrier, plan type, policy ID and group number; Medicare supplement or secondary insurance if you have one
  • Copay or coinsurance amounts
  • Your provider's name and contact information, diagnosis (exact date if within 6 months), prescribed medications and treatment plan

How to apply

Sign up for fund notifications (text, email or automated call) at totalassist.org/notify. When a fund opens: You (the patient) apply online — it takes about 15 minutes and you learn immediately whether you are approved — or call 866-512-3861, Monday–Friday 8:30am–5:30pm ET. Patient Advocate Foundation verifies your diagnosis and treatment plan directly with your provider and verifies income automatically; you have 30 days after approval to provide proof of income.

Get notified when a TotalAssist fund opens → 866-512-3861

Charitable grant

HealthWell Foundation — Asthma and COPD funds

HealthWell Foundation · Asthma · Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – Medicare Access

Closed to new applicants Medicare: may apply

Status: Both applicable funds were closed on August 26, 2026. HealthWell runs no eosinophilic asthma, EGPA or hypereosinophilic syndrome fund of any kind, so there is no narrower fund to fall back on.

HealthWell runs funds covering both of Nucala's main indications and both were closed. Its real-time alerts are the practical move, particularly for a specialty-tier drug where a grant matters more than usual.

If you have Medicare: HealthWell accepts Medicare beneficiaries, and its COPD fund is a "Medicare Access" fund built specifically for people with Medicare. It does not exclude Extra Help enrollees, which makes it a useful complement to the GSK program rather than a duplicate of it.

What it can cover: When open: copays, coinsurance, deductibles and health-insurance premiums for the covered diagnosis.

Who may qualify

  • A confirmed asthma or COPD diagnosis, verified by your prescriber
  • Some form of health insurance (Medicare qualifies) that covers part of the cost of the drug — discount cards do not count
  • Social Security number (used to prevent duplicate applications)
  • Diagnosis verified by a physician's, nurse practitioner's or physician assistant's signature
  • Treatment in the United States

What the application asks for

  • Some form of health insurance (Medicare qualifies) that covers part of the cost of the drug — discount cards do not count
  • Social Security number (used to prevent duplicate applications)
  • Diagnosis verified by a physician's, nurse practitioner's or physician assistant's signature
  • Treatment in the United States

How to apply

When a fund is open, apply online or by phone; your provider verifies the diagnosis by signature. When a fund is closed, sign up for that fund's real-time alerts — HealthWell says replenished funds reopen "as quickly as possible."

HealthWell disease funds and alerts → (800) 675-8416

Charitable grant

Good Days — no applicable fund

Good Days

No program found Medicare: not stated

Status: Good Days' published disease list on August 26, 2026 contained 57 programs and none was asthma, COPD or any eosinophilic condition.

An honest negative, checked so you do not spend time on a third foundation that has no fund for you.

If you have Medicare: Good Days accepts Medicare beneficiaries for the diseases it covers, but it covers no diagnosis that applies to Nucala.

How to apply

Not applicable today. The diseases-covered page shows every fund Good Days runs.

Good Days diseases covered →

How to apply for Nucala assistance

  1. Step 1 — Find the applicable assistance program

    For Nucala on Medicare in August 2026, the first question is whether you have Extra Help — because it decides which door is open to you:

    • You have Extra Help → GSK's Nucala program is closed to you. Your routes are Extra Help itself, the charitable funds, and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan.
    • You do NOT have Extra Help and income is at or below $63,840 for one person → apply to the GSK Patient Assistance Program for Nucala.
    • You have not applied for Extra Help → apply. It is usually the stronger option for a specialty-tier biologic.
    • Asthma or COPD diagnosis → set alerts on the four TotalAssist funds and the two HealthWell funds (all closed when checked).
    • Commercial insurance instead of Medicare → the NUCALA Copay Program, which Medicare enrollees cannot use.

  2. Step 2 — Check whether applications are currently open

    The manufacturer program was open; every charitable fund was closed.

    • GSK Patient Assistance: use the Nucala-specific Medicare page cited here. Be aware that GSK's own screener routes specialty products to a page that returned a 404 error when we checked — the product-specific page is the one that works.
    • TotalAssist: the Asthma and COPD fund pages show "Open" or "Closed" and the current award amounts.
    • HealthWell: the disease-funds list shows the Asthma and COPD – Medicare Access funds and their status.

  3. Step 3 — Check eligibility

    Read Nucala's rules rather than the rules for GSK's inhalers — they are genuinely different:

    • GSK Patient Assistance (Nucala): a Medicare drug plan; income at or below $63,840 for one person or $86,560 for two in the 48 states and DC; NOT enrolled in Extra Help; no Medicaid, VA, DOD or TRICARE. No prescription-spending threshold.
    • For contrast, GSK's inhalers require $600 already spent this calendar year and cap income at $47,880 for one person — but do not exclude Extra Help.
    • TotalAssist (when open): government insurance covering Nucala; income at or below 500% FPL adjusted for your regional cost-of-living index; a confirmed asthma or COPD diagnosis in treatment.
    • HealthWell (when open): insurance that covers part of the drug's cost, a prescriber-verified diagnosis, and treatment in the United States.
    • Extra Help: income below about $23,940 a year for one person or $32,460 for a couple, and countable resources limited to $18,090 or $36,100 in 2026.

  4. Step 4 — Gather your information

    A specialty biologic application asks for more than an inhaler application does:

    • Medicare card and your Part D or Medicare Advantage drug-plan card, with policy ID and group number.
    • Confirmation of whether you are enrolled in Extra Help — this decides GSK eligibility outright.
    • Household size and annual gross income, plus proof.
    • Your diagnosis and its date, and whether Nucala was prescribed for asthma or for COPD — the charitable funds are separate.
    • Your prescriber's name, office address, phone and signature.
    • Whether your doses are self-injected at home or given in a clinic, since that can change which Medicare benefit pays.

  5. Step 5 — Complete the application

    Who fills out what:

    • GSK Patient Assistance: both you and your provider must sign and date the enrollment form. Print it from the Nucala Medicare page, or call 1-844-225-5894 to have one sent.
    • Extra Help: you (or someone helping you) apply free through Social Security — online, by phone on 1-800-772-1213, or at an office. There is never a fee.
    • TotalAssist (when open): you apply online in about 15 minutes or by phone on 866-512-3861.
    • HealthWell (when open): apply online or by phone; your provider verifies the diagnosis by signature.

  6. Step 6 — Submit and wait for a determination

    What to expect:

    • GSK Patient Assistance: mail the signed form to GSK Patient Assistance Program, 2250 Perimeter Drive, STE 300, Morrisville, NC 27560. The foundation reviews income and insurance documentation.
    • Extra Help: Social Security notifies you by mail; your Part D plan then applies the lower copays.
    • TotalAssist (when open): an immediate online decision, with proof of income due within 30 days of approval.
    • HealthWell (when open): a decision once your provider returns the diagnosis verification.

  7. Step 7 — If the program is closed or you don't qualify

    For a specialty-tier biologic with no generic, the Medicare-side tools matter more than usual:

    • Enrol in the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. It does not lower the total, but it stops a specialty-tier bill landing all at once in January.
    • Apply for Extra Help even if you assume you earn too much — the limits are higher than most people expect, and for this drug it outperforms the manufacturer program.
    • Ask your prescriber's office to check whether your doses could be given in a setting billed differently, and what that would do to your share.
    • Ask about a formulary exception or a tier exception if your plan's coinsurance is the problem.
    • Do not wait for a generic — DailyMed labels exactly one mepolizumab product, and no biosimilar exists.
    • Call AltaMedicare — we will work through every route above with you, free.

What you'll need

Only items the programs above actually ask for. Gather these before you start.

  • Medicare card and your Part D or Medicare Advantage drug-plan card — plan name, member ID and group number
  • Prescription details — medication name, strength and dose; prescriber name, office phone and address
  • Diagnosis and date of diagnosis — TotalAssist needs the exact date if diagnosed within the past 6 months
  • Household size and annual household income — and proof — tax return, Social Security or pension statements, or pay stubs
  • Confirmation of whether you are enrolled in Medicare Extra Help — GSK's Nucala program excludes Extra Help enrollees — this single fact decides eligibility
  • Whether Nucala was prescribed for asthma or for COPD — the TotalAssist and HealthWell funds are separate for each
  • Whether you inject at home or receive doses in a clinic — this can change which Medicare benefit pays

If assistance is unavailable

A closed fund or a denial is not the end of the road. Check these next:

  1. Enrol in the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan. For a specialty-tier biologic this is often the single most useful step — it spreads what you owe across the year instead of front-loading it. Medicare.gov
  2. There is no generic or biosimilar to switch to — DailyMed labels exactly one mepolizumab product — so a formulary or tier exception through your plan is the alternative worth asking your prescriber about.
  3. Sign up for TotalAssist fund notifications so you hear the moment a Nucala fund reopens — there is no waitlist or queue, so speed matters. TotalAssist notifications
  4. Sign up for HealthWell fund alerts for the same reason; HealthWell says closed funds reopen as funding is replenished. HealthWell disease funds
  5. Check Medicare Extra Help — it does not depend on a fund balance and lowers the cost of every covered drug, not just this one. Medicare Extra Help explained
  6. Ask your doctor's office — many practices have staff who handle assistance applications routinely and can request a formulary exception or a lower-cost alternative.
  7. Use the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan to spread this year's out-of-pocket costs across monthly payments (it does not lower the total). Medicare.gov
  8. Compare Part D and Medicare Advantage drug plans during the fall enrollment period — the tier and cost-sharing for Nucala differ from plan to plan. Compare Part D plan options

Could Medicare Extra Help reduce your Nucala costs?

Extra Help is not a grant for Nucala. It is a Medicare program that lowers what qualifying beneficiaries pay for their Part D premium, deductible and every covered prescription — so it is worth checking even when a charitable fund is closed, because it does not depend on fund balances.

Nucala is the one medication in this batch where Extra Help and the manufacturer program are mutually exclusive, so the choice is real. GSK's Nucala route excludes anyone enrolled in Extra Help; GSK's route for its inhalers does not. If you qualify for Extra Help, it is usually the stronger option for a specialty-tier biologic: it lowers cost-sharing on every covered drug you take rather than one, it does not close when funding runs out, and with full Extra Help a covered brand-name drug costs about $12.65 in 2026. Apply for Extra Help first and treat the GSK program as the route for people who do not qualify for it — that is the sequence GSK's own rules imply.

In 2026, people with full Extra Help generally pay no more than $12.65 for a covered brand-name drug. Income must be below about $23,940 a year for one person ($32,460 for a couple) and countable resources under $18,090 ($36,100 for a couple). Apply free through Social Security — online, by phone at 1-800-772-1213, or in person — and never pay anyone to apply for you.

Extra Help explained · Medicare Savings Programs · Estimate your drug costs · Free prescription cost review

Government program

Medicare Extra Help (Part D Low-Income Subsidy)

Medicare / Social Security Administration

Accepting applications Medicare: may apply

Status: Year-round federal program (figures for 2026)

Not a grant for one drug — a Medicare program that lowers what qualifying beneficiaries pay for their Part D premium, deductible and every covered prescription.

If you have Medicare: For people with Medicare Part D or a Medicare Advantage drug plan who have limited income and resources.

What it can cover: Part D premium and deductible (often to $0) and reduced copays — generally no more than $12.65 for a covered brand-name drug in 2026 with full Extra Help.

Who may qualify

  • Income below 150% of the federal poverty level — about $23,940 a year for one person or $32,460 for a married couple in 2026.
  • Countable resources (savings, investments — not your home or car) limited to $18,090 for an individual or $36,100 for a married couple living together in 2026 (Medicare.gov figures, which include a burial-expense allowance).
  • Automatic if you have Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income (SSI), or a Medicare Savings Program.

What the application asks for

  • Social Security number and Medicare number
  • Income (Social Security, pensions, wages) for you and a spouse you live with
  • Value of savings, investments and other countable resources

How to apply

You (or someone helping you) apply free through Social Security — online, by phone, or at a Social Security office. There is never a fee to apply.

Apply for Extra Help at SSA.gov → 1-800-772-1213

Key terms on this page

Patient assistance program (PAP)
A manufacturer program that provides its medication free or at low cost to people who meet income and insurance rules. Many PAPs accept Medicare Part D enrollees; each sets its own criteria.
Copay card / savings card
A manufacturer discount for commercially insured patients. Federal anti-kickback rules mean these cards generally cannot be used with Medicare, Medicaid or other government insurance.
Charitable copay grant
Money from a nonprofit foundation (for example HealthWell or Patient Advocate Foundation) that pays eligible copays or coinsurance for a specific diagnosis. A drug can be listed while the fund is closed to new applicants.
Federal poverty level (FPL)
A federal income measure that assistance programs use as a yardstick — "300% of FPL", "500% of FPL". The percentage is a rule, but the dollar figure behind it comes from a table each program publishes itself, built on a chosen year of the HHS poverty guidelines. Two programs can quote the same percentage in the same year and still list different dollar limits; compare each program against its own table, not against another program.
Medicare Extra Help
The Part D Low-Income Subsidy: a Medicare program that lowers or eliminates Part D premiums, deductibles and copays for beneficiaries with limited income and resources. You apply through Social Security.
Maximum Fair Price (MFP)
The price Medicare negotiated for a selected drug under the Medicare Drug Price Negotiation Program. It applies to Part D plans, not to the pharmacy cash price, and it lowers what plans and enrollees pay for that drug.

Related medication assistance guides

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Common Questions

Nucala assistance FAQ

Does Medicare cover Nucala?
Yes — Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage drug plans generally cover Nucala when you inject it yourself at home, usually on a specialty tier with prior authorization. If your doses are given in a clinic instead, the billing route can differ, so ask your prescriber's office which benefit applies to you. Part D out-of-pocket costs are capped at $2,100 in 2026, and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan can spread that across the year.
Why are GSK's rules for Nucala different from its rules for Anoro or Breo?
Because GSK sorts its medicines into categories and writes a separate Medicare rule for each. Nucala is a "specialty" product: no prescription-spending threshold, an income limit of $63,840 for one person — but anyone enrolled in Medicare Extra Help is excluded, along with Medicaid, VA, DOD and TRICARE. The Ellipta inhalers are "general" products: you must have paid $600 for prescriptions this calendar year and income is capped at $47,880 for one person, but Extra Help is not a disqualifier. Same foundation, genuinely different rules — so read the page for your own medicine.
I have Extra Help. Can I get Nucala through GSK?
No. GSK's Nucala patient assistance route requires that you are not enrolled in Medicare Extra Help. That sounds like bad news but usually is not: Extra Help lowers cost-sharing on every covered drug you take rather than one, it cannot close when funding runs out, and with full Extra Help a covered brand-name drug costs about $12.65 in 2026 — which for a specialty-tier biologic is a better outcome than most manufacturer programs deliver. Keep the Extra Help and use that route instead.
Is there a generic or biosimilar for Nucala?
No. DailyMed lists exactly one labelled mepolizumab product — GSK's Nucala. There is no generic and no biosimilar, so there is no lower-tier version to ask your prescriber about. That is part of why the specialty-tier coinsurance on this medication is difficult, and why the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan and Extra Help carry so much of the weight here.
Is there a charitable grant for Nucala right now?
Not when we checked on August 26, 2026. TotalAssist lists Nucala on its Asthma fund, its COPD fund and the health-equity version of each — all four closed, each paying $1,200 guaranteed up to $3,500. HealthWell's Asthma and COPD – Medicare Access funds were closed too, and Good Days has no applicable fund. No foundation on this list runs a fund specific to eosinophilic disease. Set alerts, but note that a $3,500 ceiling goes further against an inhaler copay than against specialty-tier coinsurance.
Is Nucala part of Medicare drug price negotiation?
No. CMS's selected-drug and Maximum Fair Price file has no Nucala or mepolizumab row for initial price applicability year 2026, 2027 or 2028. Two other GSK respiratory products are on those lists — Breo Ellipta and Trelegy Ellipta for 2027, and Anoro Ellipta for 2028 — but Nucala is not among them. Your cost is set by your plan's specialty-tier coinsurance. See all prescription assistance options.

Sources

Related resources

Assistance information last verified August 2026. Program details — fund status, eligibility, prices, phone numbers — change often; confirm with each program before applying. AltaMedicare does not administer, fund or approve any assistance program. Not medical advice.

Having trouble figuring out your prescription costs?

Bret can help you understand your Medicare prescription coverage and where to look for Nucala assistance — free, no pressure. We don't award grants or decide eligibility; the programs above do. We help you find and apply to the right ones.

Text Bret About Nucala Call (435) 292-5548