The Mirena IUD costs anywhere from $0 to $1,800 out of pocket, depending on your insurance. Most people with health insurance pay nothing, while the uninsured face the full price of the device plus separate fees for the insertion procedure. Even at full price, Mirena works out to one of the cheapest forms of birth control per year because it lasts up to 7 years.
What the Full Price Covers
That $0 to $1,800 range from Planned Parenthood includes the device itself and the office visit for insertion. But these are often billed as separate charges. The Mirena device has a retail price, your provider charges a procedure fee for placing it, and some offices bill for an initial exam or pregnancy test beforehand. If you’re paying out of pocket, ask the clinic for an itemized estimate so you know exactly what you’re being charged for.
Removal is a separate cost down the road, typically ranging from $0 to $250. Some providers include removal in the original fee, others don’t. Worth asking upfront.
Why Most People Pay $0
Under the Affordable Care Act, most health insurance plans must cover all FDA-approved contraceptive methods at no cost to you. That includes Mirena, the office visit, and the insertion procedure. No copay, no deductible to meet first.
There are two exceptions. Grandfathered plans, meaning plans that existed before the ACA became law in March 2010 and haven’t been substantially changed, aren’t required to cover preventive services like contraception. Employers with religious objections can also opt out of covering birth control, though they’re required to notify you if they do. If you’re on one of these plans, you could be responsible for some or all of the cost.
Even with ACA-compliant insurance, some plans may still pass along certain “product-related costs” like placement checks or ultrasounds. Call your insurance before your appointment and ask specifically whether the Mirena device, the insertion procedure, and any related office visits are covered at 100%.
Cost Per Year Compared to Other Birth Control
Mirena is FDA-approved for up to 7 years of pregnancy prevention, an approval the FDA extended from its original 5-year window in 2022. At full retail of $1,800 with no insurance, that works out to roughly $257 per year, or about $21 per month. Compare that to birth control pills, which can run $20 to $50 a month before insurance, and Mirena pays for itself within a few years.
Liletta is the most direct alternative to Mirena. It uses the same hormone at the same dose and is also approved for 7 years. Liletta was designed as a lower-cost option and is commonly stocked at community health centers and Title X clinics. A cost analysis published in Pharmacy Times found that over 5 years, total costs per woman were about $1,089 for Liletta compared to $1,614 for Mirena, though this factored in older approval windows. Over a full decade of contraceptive use, Mirena was associated with savings of more than $1,000 per woman because fewer replacements were needed over time. For most people with insurance covering the device at no cost, the price difference between the two is irrelevant.
Options if You Don’t Have Insurance
Bayer, the company that makes Mirena, runs a patient assistance foundation that provides the device at no cost to eligible patients. Eligibility is typically based on income and lack of insurance coverage. You can apply through the Bayer US Patient Assistance Foundation website or ask your provider’s office to help you with the paperwork.
Planned Parenthood clinics and federally qualified health centers often offer IUDs on a sliding fee scale based on your income. Some state Medicaid programs cover Mirena fully, even for people who wouldn’t otherwise qualify for Medicaid, through family planning extensions. Title X-funded clinics are another option, as they’re required to serve patients regardless of ability to pay.
If none of these routes work, ask the clinic about payment plans. Many providers will let you spread the cost over several months, which makes the upfront hit more manageable given that you won’t have ongoing monthly contraceptive costs for years afterward.
Hidden Costs to Watch For
The device and insertion are the main expenses, but a few smaller charges can catch you off guard. Some providers order an ultrasound after placement to confirm the IUD is positioned correctly. This imaging may be billed separately from the insertion and may or may not be covered by your plan. A follow-up office visit one to two months after placement is common, and while it’s usually covered as part of preventive care, it’s worth confirming.
If you need the IUD removed before its 7-year lifespan, whether for side effects, a desire to conceive, or any other reason, the removal visit is an additional charge. With insurance, removal is typically covered. Without insurance, expect up to $250. If you want a new Mirena placed at the same visit, the replacement device and insertion would be billed again, though insurance would generally cover that as a new preventive service.