Generic Prescription Copay History (Employer Plans)
The average generic (first-tier) prescription copay in employer plans was $12 per prescription as of Oct 2026, according to KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey. That is unchanged from a year earlier. Since January 2018 ($11), it is up 9.1%. In our data, which starts Jan 2015, the highest price was $12 (first reached Jan 2021) and the lowest was $11 (Jan 2015).
Generic Prescription Copay History since Jan 2015
Generic prescription copay, first tier (avg, employer plans). Monthly values, step series. Weight in the Real Inflation index: 1.2%.
Generic prescription copay: every recorded change
| Effective | Price | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 2015 | $11 | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey | |
| Jan 2016 | $11 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2017 | $11 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2018 | $11 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2019 | $11 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2020 | $11 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2021 | $12 | +9.1% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2022 | $11 | -8.3% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2023 | $11 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2024 | $12 | +9.1% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2025 | $12 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
| Jan 2026 | $12 | 0.0% | KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey |
Price in January of each year
| Year | January price | vs year before |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | $11 | |
| 2016 | $11 | 0.0% |
| 2017 | $11 | 0.0% |
| 2018 | $11 | 0.0% |
| 2019 | $11 | 0.0% |
| 2020 | $11 | 0.0% |
| 2021 | $12 | +9.1% |
| 2022 | $11 | -8.3% |
| 2023 | $11 | 0.0% |
| 2024 | $12 | +9.1% |
| 2025 | $12 | 0.0% |
| 2026 | $12 | 0.0% |
Source
Notes and caveats
- KFF EHBS average first-tier (generic) drug copayment. Whole-dollar rounding by KFF, so $11/$12 flips are within rounding.
- Step series: each price applies from its change date until the next change. Monthly values hold the price in effect that month.
- KFF publishes its survey each October. Values are dated Jan 1 of the survey year, so the year-over-year change shows 0.0% until the next survey is added.
FAQ
How much is a generic prescription copay now?
The average generic (first-tier) prescription copay in employer plans was $12 per prescription as of Oct 2026 (0.0% vs a year earlier). Source: KFF Employer Health Benefits Survey.
How much was a generic prescription copay in 2018?
In January 2018 the average generic (first-tier) prescription copay in employer plans was $11 per prescription. Since then it has changed +9.1%.
When was a generic prescription copay most expensive?
In our data (starting Jan 2015), the highest price was $12 (first reached Jan 2021). The lowest was $11 (Jan 2015).
When did the price of a generic prescription copay last change?
The most recent change in our data took effect Jan 2026: from $12 to $12 (0.0%). We have 11 recorded changes since Jan 2015.
How often is this page updated?
We re-check this item on every weekly refresh and record each official change with its effective date.