Nexplanon, the small hormonal implant placed under the skin of your upper arm, can cost anywhere from $0 to $2,300 out of pocket. That wide range depends almost entirely on your insurance situation. Most people with private insurance or Medicaid pay nothing, while the full uninsured price covers the device itself, the office visit, and the insertion procedure.
What the Full Price Includes
The $2,300 upper end isn’t just for the implant. It reflects everything bundled together: the device, a consultation or office visit, a pregnancy test before insertion, and the insertion procedure itself. Some providers bill these as a single charge, while others break them into separate line items. If you’re comparing quotes from different clinics, make sure you’re comparing the total cost, not just the device price in isolation.
Removal adds another potential expense. When the implant reaches the end of its effective lifespan (up to three years), a provider numbs the area and makes a small incision to slide it out. If you’re getting a new implant placed at the same visit, both the removal and reinsertion may be billed. With insurance, both are typically covered at no cost. Without it, expect the removal to carry its own procedure fee on top of a new device charge.
What Insurance Typically Covers
Under the Affordable Care Act, marketplace and most employer-sponsored health plans must cover all FDA-approved contraceptive methods, including implants like Nexplanon, without charging you a copay, coinsurance, or requiring you to meet your deductible first. This applies as long as you use an in-network provider. If you go out of network, your plan can charge you more or decline to cover it entirely.
There’s a catch worth knowing about. Some plans use a “reasonable medical management” approach, meaning they might cover one brand of implant but not another, or require you to try a different method first. In practice, Nexplanon is the only contraceptive implant currently available in the U.S., so this rarely becomes an issue for the implant specifically. But if your provider’s office bills the visit or device in an unexpected way, you could still see a surprise charge. Call your insurer before your appointment to confirm the implant and insertion are fully covered at your chosen clinic.
Medicaid and State Programs
Medicaid covers Nexplanon in all states, though the specifics of how it’s billed vary. Many state Medicaid programs have “unbundled” long-acting contraceptive methods from other billing categories, particularly for people who want an implant placed right after giving birth. This means the hospital or clinic can bill for the device separately from maternity care, making providers more willing to offer it and reducing delays.
If you’re on Medicaid, you should face zero out-of-pocket cost for the device, insertion, and removal. Prior authorization requirements differ by state, so your provider’s office may need to submit paperwork before your appointment. This is a billing step, not a medical one, and shouldn’t change whether you’re approved.
Options if You’re Uninsured
Paying $2,300 out of pocket is a real barrier, but several programs can reduce or eliminate that cost. Title X-funded family planning clinics, including many Planned Parenthood locations and community health centers, use a sliding fee scale based on your income. If your income falls below the federal poverty level, services must be provided completely free. Between 100% and 250% of the poverty level, you pay a reduced fee. Above 250%, you pay the full rate.
Organon, the company that manufactures Nexplanon, also runs a Patient Assistance Program for people without insurance or whose insurance doesn’t cover the device. Through this program, eligible individuals can receive the implant at no charge. You can check eligibility through the Nexplanon website or by calling the Organon Access Program, which can also help answer questions about coverage and connect you with financial assistance options. Separately, Organon offers copay coupons for people who have private insurance but face out-of-pocket costs. These coupons are not available to anyone on Medicare, Medicaid, or other government insurance.
How Nexplanon Compares in Long-Term Cost
Even at full price, Nexplanon can be cheaper over time than methods with lower upfront costs. Birth control pills typically run $20 to $50 per month without insurance, which adds up to $720 to $1,800 over the same three-year window that a single Nexplanon implant covers. Factor in the quarterly or annual office visits often needed to renew a pill prescription, and the gap narrows further or tips in the implant’s favor.
With insurance covering both options at no cost, the financial comparison becomes less relevant. But it’s worth considering if you’re uninsured or underinsured and weighing a higher one-time expense against years of recurring costs. The implant also removes the ongoing effort of refilling prescriptions, which has its own practical value even if it doesn’t show up on a bill.
Additional Costs to Anticipate
Most clinics include a pregnancy test as part of the insertion visit, since the implant shouldn’t be placed if you’re pregnant. This is almost always bundled into the visit cost rather than billed separately, but it’s worth asking. Some providers also schedule a follow-up appointment a few weeks after insertion to check the site, though many don’t require one if you’re healing normally.
If you experience side effects like prolonged irregular bleeding (the most common reason people have the implant removed early), the removal visit carries its own cost. With insurance or Medicaid, removal is covered the same way insertion is. Without coverage, removal is less expensive than insertion since there’s no new device involved, but you’ll still pay for the office visit and procedure.