COPD & Asthma
Symbicort Assistance Programs & Grants in Utah
Assistance information last verified: August 2026
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. Financial assistance may be available through charitable foundations, manufacturer programs, Medicare's Extra Help program, or other assistance resources. Availability and eligibility change frequently — the information on this page was verified in August 2026.
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 plans in Vernal
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.
| Program | Type of help | People with Medicare | Status (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
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.
Commercial copay / savings card
Symbicort savings offer
AstraZeneca
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.
Manufacturer self-pay pricing
AstraZeneca Direct (cash-pay) — Symbicort not offered
AstraZeneca (dispensed by ASPN Pharmacies)
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.
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)
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.
Charitable grant
HealthWell Foundation — COPD – Medicare Access and Asthma funds
HealthWell Foundation · Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – Medicare Access · Asthma
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."
Charitable grant
Good Days — no applicable fund
Good Days
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.
How to apply for Symbicort assistance
The written steps are complete on their own; the video above will walk through the same process when it is published.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
-
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 Vernal Medicare — 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
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 (Utah) · Check if you might qualify · Medicare Savings Programs · All help paying for Medicare
Government program
Medicare Extra Help (Part D Low-Income Subsidy)
Medicare / Social Security Administration
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.
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
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Medicare cover Symbicort?
Is there a Symbicort patient assistance program for people on Medicare?
Can I use the Symbicort $35 savings offer with Medicare?
Is there a charitable grant for Symbicort right now?
Is there a generic for Symbicort?
Is Symbicort part of Medicare drug price negotiation?
What happens if the fund is closed?
Sources
- Symbicort prescribing information (DailyMed) — U.S. National Library of Medicine (2026-08-26)
- DailyMed label search — budesonide and formoterol — U.S. National Library of Medicine (2026-08-26)
- AZ&Me — medications available through the program — AstraZeneca (2026-08-26)
- AZ&Me important program updates — AstraZeneca (2026-08-26)
- AZ&Me eligibility requirements and income guidelines — AstraZeneca (2026-08-26)
- Symbicort — cost and affordability — AstraZeneca (2026-08-26)
- AstraZeneca Direct — self-pay medication list — AstraZeneca (dispensed by ASPN Pharmacies) (2026-08-26)
- TotalAssist — Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) fund — Patient Advocate Foundation (2026-08-26)
- TotalAssist — Asthma fund — Patient Advocate Foundation (2026-08-26)
- TotalAssist — COPD health equity fund — Patient Advocate Foundation (2026-08-26)
- TotalAssist — Asthma health equity fund — Patient Advocate Foundation (2026-08-26)
- Get notified when a fund opens — TotalAssist — Patient Advocate Foundation (2026-08-26)
- HealthWell Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease – Medicare Access fund — HealthWell Foundation (2026-08-26)
- HealthWell Asthma fund — HealthWell Foundation (2026-08-26)
- HealthWell disease funds (status list) — HealthWell Foundation (2026-08-26)
- Good Days — diseases covered — Good Days (2026-08-26)
- Selected Drug List and Negotiated Prices (Maximum Fair Prices) data file — CMS (2026-08-26)
- Your Medicare in 2026: what you need to know — Medicare.gov (2026-08-26)
- Help with drug costs (Extra Help) — Medicare.gov (2026-08-26)
- Special Advisory Bulletin: Pharmaceutical Manufacturer Copayment Coupons — HHS Office of Inspector General (2026-08-26)
Having trouble figuring out your prescription costs?
If you live in Vernal or the Uintah Basin, Vernal Medicare 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.