How Much Do Miebo Eye Drops Cost?

Published on December 19, 2024 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 11 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

Miebo eye drops currently cost about $810 to $885 for a 3 mL, roughly one-month supply when using current SingleCare discount pricing at major U.S. pharmacies. SingleCare’s broader average retail benchmark is $1,234.30 for the same quantity, while eligible commercially insured patients may pay as little as $0 through the official Miebo Copay Card.

The cash price is only one version of the bill. Pharmacy choice, discount-card pricing, insurance formulary status, deductible progress, commercial copay assistance, Medicare coverage, and eligibility for Bausch + Lomb’s Patient Assistance Program can move the out-of-pocket cost from more than $1,000 for one fill to very little for some qualifying patients.

Miebo is the brand name for perfluorohexyloctane ophthalmic solution. The FDA approved it on May 18, 2023 for treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. It remains a brand-name prescription product with no generic equivalent listed in current consumer pricing data.

Article Highlights

• Current SingleCare discount prices at major pharmacies run about $812.73 to $885.15 (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 3.4 to 3.7 full-time workdays, before taxes) for a 3 mL supply.
• SingleCare’s current average retail benchmark is $1,234.30, while its lowest published coupon figure is $809.73.
• At $809.73 per monthly fill, 12 fills cost $9,716.76. At $1,234.30, the same 12 fills reach $14,811.60.
• Eligible commercially insured patients may pay as little as $0 with the official Miebo Copay Card, subject to program terms.
• The manufacturer copay program excludes prescriptions reimbursed by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, VA/DoD, and other government programs.
• Miebo was FDA-approved in 2023, not 2021, and Bausch + Lomb holds U.S. and Canadian commercialization rights from Novaliq.

How Much Do Miebo Eye Drops Cost?

The current SingleCare Miebo price page, updated August 23, 2026, lists an average retail price of $1,234.30 and a published coupon price of $809.73 for a 3 mL supply. The site warns that displayed prices are estimates and the pharmacy counter price can differ.

The major-pharmacy table on that same price page also shows why old assumptions about Walmart or warehouse stores being cheapest should be discarded. In the current data, Kroger is $812.73 with SingleCare while Walmart is $872.70. Pharmacy rank can change by location and date, so compare the exact prescription rather than relying on a chain’s reputation for low prices.

The $5,095 Cash-Price Gap

Worked example: SingleCare’s $809.73 (about 3.4 full-time workdays at $30 per hour) coupon figure multiplied by 12 monthly fills equals $9,716.76 per year. Its $1,234.30 average retail benchmark multiplied by 12 equals $14,811.60 per year. The difference is $5,094.84.

On a 30-day basis, those figures equal about $26.99 per day at the coupon price and $41.14 per day at the average retail benchmark. That is a 34.4% reduction between the two published price signals before insurance or manufacturer assistance enters the calculation.

Pharmacy-shopping scenario: the current major-chain discount examples range from $812.73 at Kroger to $885.15 at Albertsons. The difference is $72.42 per fill. If that gap persisted for 12 fills, the annual difference would be $869.04.

Retail scenario: paying close to the published average retail benchmark for only three fills would cost 3 × $1,234.30 = $3,702.90. Price checking before the first refill matters because Miebo is dosed repeatedly rather than purchased once.

Commercial Insurance and $0 Copay

The official Miebo savings program says eligible commercially insured patients may pay as little as $0 for new prescriptions and refills through the Miebo Copay Card. BlinkRx can also work with commercial insurance and apply available Miebo savings when the patient qualifies.

The phrase “as little as $0” is not a promise that every insured patient pays nothing. Eligibility criteria and program terms apply, and the patient’s health plan still determines formulary coverage, prior-authorization rules, deductible treatment, and other prescription benefits.

For someone comparing the medication cost with the visit needed to obtain or review treatment, our eye exam without insurance cost guide covers the separate clinician-side expense. The prescription price does not include the eye examination or any dry-eye testing performed by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Medicare and Government Plans

The commercial copay card is not available when a prescription is reimbursed in whole or in part by Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, Veterans Administration or Department of Defense coverage, or another federal or state health program. The official Miebo coverage FAQ says that, as of January 2025, about 65% of Medicare Part D plans covered Miebo.

That 65% figure is a manufacturer coverage snapshot, not a promise of a particular copay in 2026. A Medicare patient’s actual out-of-pocket amount depends on the current Part D plan, formulary tier, deductible, pharmacy, coverage status, and any plan-specific requirements.

A blanket claim that Medicare reduces Miebo cost by a fixed percentage is not supported. The useful number is the plan’s current pharmacy estimate for the exact NDC and fill quantity.

Patient Assistance for Uninsured Patients

Miebo is currently included in the Bausch + Lomb Patient Assistance Program product list. The program is designed for qualifying patients facing insurance or financial barriers and can provide approved prescription products at no cost for up to one year.

The current assistance eligibility rules consider U.S. residency, outpatient treatment, insurance status, product coverage, household circumstances, and other criteria. Some patients with Medicare coverage can request an eligibility review under specified circumstances.

This is different from a retail coupon. A patient must apply and be approved. Program rules and product availability can change, so the current eligibility tool should be checked rather than relying on an old fixed “uninsured price.”

What Miebo Actually Is

The FDA approved Miebo on May 18, 2023 for treatment of the signs and symptoms of dry eye disease. FDA identifies Bausch & Lomb as the applicant. Novaliq says Bausch + Lomb has held exclusive U.S. and Canadian development, manufacturing, and commercialization rights for perfluorohexyloctane since 2019 through their strategic licensing relationship.

The current Miebo prescribing label, updated in March 2026, identifies the product as 100% perfluorohexyloctane and says the recommended dose is one drop four times daily into the affected eye or eyes. A multiple-dose bottle contains 3 mL.

Perfluorohexyloctane forms a layer at the air-liquid interface of the tear film that is expected to reduce evaporation. The FDA label also states that the exact mechanism of action in dry eye disease is not known. That is more precise than describing Miebo as fixing the “root cause” of every case of dry eye.

The label was updated in October 2025 with a hypersensitivity contraindication. Contact lenses should be removed before Miebo is used and left out for at least 30 minutes afterward. Blurred vision was the most common ocular adverse reaction in controlled trials, and safety and effectiveness below age 18 have not been established.

Miebo vs Lower-Cost Dry Eye Drugs

There is currently no generic version of Miebo. That does not mean other dry-eye treatments are interchangeable generics. The National Eye Institute’s dry-eye treatment overview lists artificial tears for many mild cases and prescription options such as cyclosporine and lifitegrast for some patients, depending on the cause and severity of the condition.

GoodRx currently lists generic cyclosporine at a much lower price than Miebo in its Miebo alternative comparison, with a displayed low price around $62.46. That price difference does not make cyclosporine a generic Miebo substitute. The medications have different active ingredients and mechanisms, and the prescriber decides which treatment fits the patient’s dry-eye pattern.

Loteprednol and other steroid eye drops also should not be presented as simple cheaper substitutes for long-term Miebo treatment. Ophthalmic steroids have separate indications, risks, and monitoring needs. Cost comparisons should stay within the treatment plan given by the prescribing eye doctor.

When Paying for Miebo Makes Sense

Makes sense if:

• An eye-care clinician has prescribed Miebo for the patient’s dry-eye disease and reviewed other appropriate options.
• The pharmacy has checked insurance and current savings-program eligibility before the patient pays cash.
• The patient has compared the exact 3 mL price at several pharmacies because a recurring $50 to $70 difference can accumulate across refills.
• The patient understands that the $0 commercial-copay offer is eligibility-based rather than a universal price.

Does not make sense if:

• An overseas perfluorohexyloctane product is being treated as an automatic substitute for the U.S. prescription without the prescriber’s involvement.
• A lower-priced cyclosporine, lifitegrast, steroid, or artificial tear is being treated as pharmacologically identical to Miebo.
• The annual budget assumes every 3 mL fill will remain at one coupon price without rechecking the pharmacy and program terms.
• The patient is counting on the commercial copay card while using Medicare or another excluded government program.

What We Verified

• Checked Bausch + Lomb’s current dry-eye product page and confirmed Miebo is a Bausch + Lomb prescription product for signs and symptoms of dry eye disease.
• Confirmed the current label’s 2023 approval year, dose, contact-lens rule, and hypersensitivity update rather than retaining the old 2021 approval claim.
• Cross-referenced current pharmacy pricing and removed the old assumption that Walmart and Costco automatically produce the cheapest Miebo cash price.
• Verified current manufacturer assistance routes and removed the obsolete Oyster Point savings-program claims.

Related Eye Costs

Dry-eye treatment can include a separate diagnostic visit, prescription refills, and follow-up care. More invasive eye conditions follow completely different pricing paths. Our cataract surgery cost guide covers lens-removal surgery, while detached retina surgery costs involve retinal procedures rather than chronic dry-eye medication.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does Miebo cost without insurance?
Current SingleCare data put major-pharmacy discount prices around $812.73 to $885.15 for a 3 mL supply, while its broader average retail benchmark is $1,234.30. Prices vary by pharmacy, location, and date.

How much does Miebo cost per year?
Twelve fills at the current $809.73 SingleCare coupon figure equal $9,716.76. Twelve fills at the $1,234.30 average retail benchmark equal $14,811.60. Insurance and assistance can change the patient’s actual annual cost sharply.

Can Miebo cost $0?
Yes, some eligible commercially insured patients may pay as little as $0 through the official Miebo Copay Card. Eligibility and program terms apply, and government-insured prescriptions are excluded from that commercial copay offer.

Is there a generic Miebo?
No generic equivalent is currently available. Other prescription dry-eye medications, including cyclosporine and lifitegrast, are different drugs rather than generic versions of perfluorohexyloctane.

Was Miebo approved in 2021?
No. FDA records show that Miebo was approved on May 18, 2023.

Can Miebo be used with contact lenses?
The current prescribing information says contact lenses should be removed before the drops are used and should not be reinserted for at least 30 minutes afterward.

Does Medicare cover Miebo?
Coverage depends on the Part D plan. The manufacturer reported that about 65% of Medicare Part D plans covered Miebo as of January 2025, but the patient’s current plan determines formulary status and out-of-pocket cost. The commercial Miebo Copay Card cannot be used with Medicare.

Disclosure: This article provides general prescription-cost and medication information, not individual medical advice. Prices, insurance coverage, assistance eligibility, dosing decisions, and treatment choices can change. Confirm the current prescription price with the pharmacy and follow instructions from the prescribing optometrist or ophthalmologist.