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COPD & Asthma

Symbicort 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 Symbicort (budesonide / formoterol fumarate dihydrate) — each checked on its official source.

Can I get help paying for Symbicort?

Partly — and the manufacturer route that covers AstraZeneca's other inhalers does not cover this one. Symbicort is not on the AZ&Me medication list, so there is no free-drug program from AstraZeneca. The Symbicort savings offer is for commercial insurance only and excludes federal government insurance. Every asthma and COPD charity fund we checked was closed. The routes that remain are Medicare Extra Help, the generic, and fund alerts.

  • AZ&Me Prescription Savings Program: Symbicort is NOT on the included-medications list (August 26, 2026). The AstraZeneca inhalers AZ&Me does cover are Airsupra, Bevespi Aerosphere and Breztri Aerosphere.
  • Symbicort savings offer: "Eligible patients pay as little as $35 per month," but AstraZeneca states that "government restrictions exclude people enrolled in federal government insurance programs from co-pay support" — that means Medicare Part D.
  • No manufacturer cash price: AstraZeneca Direct sells Airsupra, Baxfendy, Bevespi, Farxiga, FluMist, Lokelma and Xigduo XR — not Symbicort.
  • Charitable grants: TotalAssist's COPD and Asthma funds and HealthWell's COPD – Medicare Access and Asthma funds all list Symbicort, and all four were closed to new applicants when we checked. Good Days has no lung fund.
  • Generics exist: Breyna and a generic budesonide/formoterol aerosol are labelled with FDA, and both funds list Breyna. Ask your plan what it charges for the generic — this is the saving with no application attached.

1 of the 6 programs we checked for Symbicort was accepting applications when verified in August 2026.

About Symbicort (budesonide / formoterol fumarate dihydrate)

Symbicort is a twice-daily maintenance inhaler that combines an inhaled corticosteroid (budesonide) with a long-acting bronchodilator (formoterol). It is used for asthma and, at the 160/4.5 strength, for COPD. It is not a rescue inhaler and will not replace one.

Approved uses

  • Treatment of asthma in patients 6 years of age and older
  • Maintenance treatment of airflow obstruction in COPD, including chronic bronchitis and emphysema (SYMBICORT 160/4.5 only)
  • Not for relief of sudden breathing problems — a rescue inhaler is still needed

Manufacturer: AstraZeneca

Why Symbicort can be expensive on Medicare

Symbicort is a brand inhaler that Part D plans usually place on a brand tier, and inhalers are a category where deductibles and non-preferred tiers hit hardest early in the year. Two things make this medication different from most of the inhalers on this site, and both matter for cost: AstraZeneca's patient assistance program does not cover Symbicort, so there is no free-drug route from the manufacturer — and there are generics. DailyMed carries the Breyna authorized generic and a generic budesonide/formoterol aerosol, and both TotalAssist and HealthWell list Breyna next to the brand on the same funds.

Medicare coverage context

Symbicort is covered under Medicare Part D or a Medicare Advantage drug plan as a maintenance inhaler, commonly on a brand tier and sometimes behind prior authorization or step therapy. It is not a Medicare-negotiated drug: CMS's selected-drug and Maximum Fair Price file has no Symbicort or budesonide row for 2026, 2027 or 2028. Part D out-of-pocket costs are capped at $2,100 in 2026, Extra Help lowers cost-sharing for people with limited income and resources, and the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan can spread what you owe across the year. Because the brand has generic equivalents, ask your plan what it charges for Breyna or generic budesonide/formoterol — for many plans that is the single largest saving available here.

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

Symbicort 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.

Symbicort assistance programs compared
ProgramType of helpPeople with MedicareStatus (August 2026)
AZ&Me Prescription Savings Program — Symbicort not covered Manufacturer patient assistance not stated No program found
Symbicort savings offer Commercial copay / savings card not eligible Accepting applications
AstraZeneca Direct (cash-pay) — Symbicort not offered Manufacturer self-pay pricing not stated No program found
TotalAssist — COPD and Asthma funds Charitable grant may apply Closed to new applicants
HealthWell Foundation — COPD – Medicare Access and Asthma 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 AstraZeneca

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

AZ&Me Prescription Savings Program — Symbicort not covered

AstraZeneca

No program found Medicare: not stated

Status: Symbicort was not on the AZ&Me medication list on August 26, 2026. The program's own included-medications page lists Airsupra, Baxfendy, Bevespi, Breztri, Calquence, Etcamah, Fasenra, Imfinzi, Imjudo, Lokelma, Lynparza, Saphnelo, Tagrisso, Truqap and Wainua — with a downloadable application for each — and Symbicort appears in none of them. It is also absent from the 2026 additions-and-removals notice, so we are recording "not on the list", not "removed this year".

An honest negative, and the single most important fact on this page. AstraZeneca runs a substantial free-medication program that covers three of its inhalers. Symbicort is not one of them, so do not spend time on an AZ&Me application for it — check the generic and the charitable funds instead.

If you have Medicare: AZ&Me does have a Medicare pathway — it accepts Medicare beneficiaries who are not eligible for or enrolled in Extra Help, with income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level. That pathway is irrelevant here because the first eligibility requirement is being treated with "a medication on AZ&Me", and Symbicort is not one.

How to apply

Not applicable for Symbicort. If AstraZeneca adds it, it would appear on the included-medications page and in the important-program-updates notice, both cited here. Call 1-800-292-6363 (Monday–Friday, 9am–6pm ET) if you want AstraZeneca to confirm directly.

AZ&Me medication list → 1-800-292-6363

Commercial copay / savings card

Symbicort savings offer

AstraZeneca

Accepting applications Medicare: not eligible

Status: Advertised on symbicort.com on August 26, 2026 as "as little as $35 per month" for eligible patients, with terms and conditions applying. The page carries a 2025 copyright and update stamp, so confirm the current terms on the eligibility page before relying on the figure.

A commercial copay offer for people with private or employer prescription insurance. Eligible patients pay as little as $35 a month for Symbicort.

If you have Medicare: AstraZeneca's own qualifier on the offer: "Government restrictions exclude people enrolled in federal government insurance programs from co-pay support." Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage drug coverage are federal government insurance, so a Medicare beneficiary cannot use this offer — the same anti-kickback rule that closes every manufacturer copay card to Medicare.

What it can cover: Part of the commercial copay for Symbicort. Nothing toward Medicare cost-sharing.

Who may qualify

  • Commercial (private or employer-sponsored) prescription insurance
  • Not enrolled in a federal government insurance program — including Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage drug coverage
  • Terms and conditions apply; AstraZeneca can change or end the offer without notice

How to apply

Commercially insured patients check eligibility and activate the offer through the cost-and-affordability page on symbicort.com. Not a route for Medicare beneficiaries.

Symbicort cost and affordability →

Manufacturer self-pay pricing

AstraZeneca Direct (cash-pay) — Symbicort not offered

AstraZeneca (dispensed by ASPN Pharmacies)

No program found Medicare: not stated

Status: On August 26, 2026 AstraZeneca Direct offered Airsupra, Baxfendy, Bevespi Aerosphere, Farxiga, FluMist, Lokelma and Xigduo XR. Symbicort is not on the list, and the /symbicort page returns "File not found".

An honest negative: there is no manufacturer self-pay price for Symbicort. The nearest cash comparison is the generic — ask a pharmacy what Breyna or generic budesonide/formoterol costs with and without your plan.

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

How to apply

Not applicable. If AstraZeneca adds Symbicort, it would appear on the AstraZeneca Direct product list cited here.

AstraZeneca Direct product list →

Charitable grants for Symbicort

No open charitable fund covered Symbicort on August 26, 2026. TotalAssist lists it on its COPD and Asthma funds (and both health-equity variants) and HealthWell lists it on its COPD – Medicare Access and Asthma funds — five listings, all closed to new applicants. Good Days has no lung fund. Being listed is not the same as being open, and because there is no AZ&Me route for Symbicort, the things that do not depend on a fund balance carry more weight here than on most inhaler pages: Medicare Extra Help, the Breyna or generic budesonide/formoterol option, a formulary exception, and a plan comparison in the fall. Set alerts on all four funds so you hear the moment one reopens.

Charitable grant

TotalAssist — COPD and Asthma funds

Patient Advocate Foundation · Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) · Asthma (and both health-equity variants)

Closed to new applicants Medicare: may apply

Status: All four funds that list Symbicort — COPD, COPD health equity, Asthma and Asthma health equity — were closed to new applicants on August 26, 2026. The health-equity variants additionally require a home zip code in a designated social-vulnerability county.

"Symbicort (Budesonide/Formoterol Fumarate)" is named on the approved-medication lists of TotalAssist's COPD and Asthma funds, along with the Breyna generic. A listing is not an open fund — each of these was closed when we checked, and there is no waitlist, so the notification sign-up is what gets you in.

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.

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 COPD or asthma 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

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 — COPD – Medicare Access and Asthma funds

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

Closed to new applicants Medicare: may apply

Status: Both funds were "temporarily closed to new patients due to lack of sufficient funding" on August 26, 2026. Symbicort and Breyna are on both covered-medication lists.

HealthWell lists Symbicort under both its COPD – Medicare Access fund and its Asthma fund. HealthWell says replenished funds reopen "as quickly as possible" and offers email or text alerts for each fund.

If you have Medicare: The COPD fund is a Medicare Access fund — Medicare patients only, and premium assistance through it requires Medicare Part B. The Asthma fund accepts any insurance that pays part of the cost, Medicare included.

What it can cover: When open: up to $3,250 per grant on the COPD – Medicare Access fund (HealthWell forecasts an average grant of about $1,500) or up to $4,500 on the Asthma fund, for prescription copays or a Medicare Part B premium. Household income up to 500% of the federal poverty level on HealthWell's own table.

Who may qualify

  • Insurance that pays part of the cost of Symbicort — Medicare qualifies; discount cards do not count as insurance
  • Household income up to 500% of the federal poverty level, adjusted for household size and cost of living
  • COPD or asthma diagnosis verified by a physician, nurse practitioner or physician assistant
  • 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 (sign up for 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 no asthma, COPD or general lung fund. Its nearest respiratory entry, Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension, was closed and is a different diagnosis.

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 Symbicort.

How to apply

Not applicable today. The diseases-covered page shows every fund and whether it is open.

Good Days diseases covered →

How to apply for Symbicort assistance

  1. Step 1 — Find the applicable assistance program

    For Symbicort on Medicare in August 2026, start by ruling out the route people assume exists. AstraZeneca's AZ&Me program does not cover Symbicort, so the realistic order is: the generic, then Extra Help, then fund alerts.

    • Ask your plan what it charges for Breyna or generic budesonide/formoterol — the saving with no application and no waiting.
    • Limited income and resources → Medicare Extra Help through Social Security.
    • COPD or asthma diagnosis → set alerts on the TotalAssist and HealthWell funds (all closed when checked).
    • Commercial insurance instead of Medicare → the Symbicort savings offer, which federal-insurance enrollees cannot use.

  2. Step 2 — Check whether applications are currently open

    Symbicort appears on four charity funds and none was open when we checked. Status changes without notice, in both directions.

    • TotalAssist: the COPD and Asthma fund pages show "Open" or "Closed" with the current award amounts.
    • HealthWell: the Disease Funds page shows each fund's status; closed funds reopen as money is replenished.
    • AZ&Me: the included-medications page is the authoritative list — check whether Symbicort has been added since this page was verified.

  3. Step 3 — Check eligibility

    Each program applies its own rules and its own income table. These are the ones that would decide a Symbicort application:

    • TotalAssist (when open): government insurance covering Symbicort; income at or below 500% FPL adjusted for your regional cost-of-living index; a COPD or asthma diagnosis in treatment.
    • HealthWell (when open): insurance that pays part of the cost — Medicare qualifies; income up to 500% FPL on HealthWell's table; diagnosis verified by your provider's signature.
    • 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.
    • Symbicort savings offer: commercial insurance only — Medicare disqualifies you.

  4. Step 4 — Gather your information

    Whichever route you take, these are what the applications ask for:

    • Medicare card and your Part D or Medicare Advantage drug-plan card, with policy ID and group number.
    • Your COPD or asthma diagnosis and its date — TotalAssist needs the exact date if it was within the past 6 months.
    • Your Symbicort prescription details (strength — 80/4.5 or 160/4.5) and your prescriber's name, office and phone.
    • Household size and annual household income, plus proof — tax return, Social Security or pension statements, or pay stubs.

  5. Step 5 — Complete the application

    Who fills out what:

    • TotalAssist (when open): you apply online in about 15 minutes or by phone on 866-512-3861; Patient Advocate Foundation verifies the diagnosis with your provider.
    • HealthWell (when open): apply online or by phone; your provider verifies the diagnosis by signature.
    • Extra Help: you (or someone helping you) apply free through Social Security — online, by phone on 1-800-772-1213, or at an office.
    • Generic switch: nothing to apply for — your prescriber writes it, or the pharmacy substitutes where state law allows.

  6. Step 6 — Submit and wait for a determination

    What to expect:

    • TotalAssist (when open): an immediate online decision, with proof of income due within 30 days of approval.
    • HealthWell (when open): approval creates a 12-month grant cycle with a pharmacy card.
    • Extra Help: Social Security notifies you by mail; your Part D plan then applies the lower copays.

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

    With no manufacturer program for Symbicort, this step is where most of the money is:

    • Ask your prescriber about Breyna or generic budesonide/formoterol — a labelled equivalent your plan may cover at a much lower tier.
    • Ask whether a different maintenance inhaler on your plan's preferred tier suits you — several AstraZeneca inhalers that AZ&Me does cover are alternatives worth discussing.
    • Sign up for TotalAssist and HealthWell alerts; there is no waitlist or queue, so the alert is what gets you in.
    • Apply for Extra Help even if you assume you earn too much — the limits are higher than most people expect.
    • Use the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan to spread this year's out-of-pocket costs across monthly payments.
    • 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
  • Symbicort strength — 80/4.5 or 160/4.5 — the COPD indication is for 160/4.5 only, and funds match on diagnosis
  • Date of your COPD or asthma diagnosis — TotalAssist needs the exact date if it was within the past 6 months

If assistance is unavailable

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

  1. Because AstraZeneca's AZ&Me program does not cover Symbicort, ask your prescriber about Breyna or generic budesonide/formoterol first — it is the one saving here that needs no application and no open fund.
  2. Sign up for TotalAssist fund notifications so you hear the moment a Symbicort fund reopens — there is no waitlist or queue, so speed matters. TotalAssist notifications
  3. Sign up for HealthWell fund alerts for the same reason; HealthWell says closed funds reopen as funding is replenished. HealthWell disease funds
  4. 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
  5. 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.
  6. 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
  7. Compare Part D and Medicare Advantage drug plans during the fall enrollment period — the tier and cost-sharing for Symbicort differ from plan to plan. Compare Part D plan options

Could Medicare Extra Help reduce your Symbicort costs?

Extra Help is not a grant for Symbicort. 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.

Extra Help matters more for Symbicort than for AstraZeneca's other inhalers, because the AZ&Me alternative does not exist here. There is no conflict to manage: AZ&Me's rule that applicants must not qualify for Extra Help cannot apply to a medication AZ&Me does not cover. If your income and resources are limited, apply for Extra Help — with full Extra Help a covered brand-name drug costs about $12.65 in 2026.

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

Breztri Aerosphere Assistance & Grants budesonide / glycopyrrolate / formoterol fumarate Trelegy Ellipta Assistance & Grants fluticasone furoate / umeclidinium / vilanterol Spiriva Assistance & Grants tiotropium bromide All prescription assistance Directory & program finder
Common Questions

Symbicort assistance FAQ

Does Medicare cover Symbicort?
Yes — Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage drug plans generally cover Symbicort as a maintenance inhaler for asthma and COPD, usually on a brand tier and sometimes with prior authorization or step therapy. Part D out-of-pocket costs are capped at $2,100 in 2026. Ask your plan what it charges for the Breyna generic as well: for many plans that is a lower tier. If your income and resources are limited, Medicare Extra Help can bring a covered brand-name copay to about $12.65.
Is there a Symbicort patient assistance program for people on Medicare?
Not from AstraZeneca. Symbicort is not on the AZ&Me Prescription Savings Program medication list — we read that list on August 26, 2026, and the AstraZeneca inhalers it covers are Airsupra, Bevespi Aerosphere and Breztri Aerosphere. This surprises people because AZ&Me does have a Medicare pathway; it just does not apply to a medication the program does not carry. For Symbicort the routes are the generic, Medicare Extra Help, and the charitable funds when they reopen.
Can I use the Symbicort $35 savings offer with Medicare?
No. AstraZeneca states that "government restrictions exclude people enrolled in federal government insurance programs from co-pay support," which covers Medicare Part D and Medicare Advantage drug coverage. Federal anti-kickback rules are why manufacturer copay offers are closed to Medicare across the board — it is not specific to this medication.
Is there a charitable grant for Symbicort right now?
Not when we checked on August 26, 2026. TotalAssist lists Symbicort on its COPD and Asthma funds and their health-equity variants, and HealthWell lists it on its COPD – Medicare Access and Asthma funds — five listings, and every one was closed to new applicants. Good Days has no lung fund. Sign up for alerts on all of them; TotalAssist has no waitlist, so the notification is what gets you in.
Is there a generic for Symbicort?
Yes. DailyMed carries Breyna (budesonide and formoterol fumarate), an authorized generic, and a generic budesonide/formoterol fumarate dihydrate aerosol, alongside AstraZeneca's Symbicort. Both TotalAssist and HealthWell list Breyna next to the brand on the same funds. Ask your prescriber and your plan what the generic costs on your formulary — with no manufacturer assistance program for Symbicort, this is usually the largest saving available.
Is Symbicort part of Medicare drug price negotiation?
No. CMS's selected-drug and Maximum Fair Price data file has no Symbicort or budesonide row for initial price applicability year 2026, 2027 or 2028. (Two inhalers are in the program — Breo Ellipta and Trelegy Ellipta from 2027 — but Symbicort is not one of them.) Your cost is set by your plan's tier and cost-sharing.
What happens if the fund is closed?
TotalAssist offers text, email or automated-call notifications when a fund opens, with no waitlist or queue; HealthWell offers alerts on each fund page. While you wait, the routes that do not depend on a fund balance are the generic, Extra Help, a formulary exception through your doctor, the Medicare Prescription Payment Plan, and a Part D plan comparison in the fall. 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 Symbicort 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 Symbicort Call (435) 292-5548