The Cost of Weight Loss Drugs with and without Insurance

Just like when you find a glitzy resort in your dream destination, your first question about weight loss drugs might be, how much is this going to set me back? Lucky for you, we’ve done our homework.

The cost of weight loss drugs typically ranges from about $200 to $2,000 per month, depending on which type of weight loss drug you get and where you get it from. You may be eligible for insurance coverage or manufacturer savings programs to reduce your out-of-pocket costs.

Below, we’ll dive into how much different drugs cost and the more affordable weight loss medications to consider.

Weight loss drugs aren’t usually covered by insurance, but it’s always worth checking your plan.

If your plan does cover weight loss medications, you may have to meet some criteria.

This could include having a body mass index (BMI) above a certain amount or having a weight-related health condition — like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, or type 2 diabetes.

You may be able to get diabetes drugs — like Ozempic® and Mounjaro® — covered if you have type 2 diabetes. But it’s unlikely you’ll get these drugs covered if they’re prescribed off-label for weight loss.

We can’t speak for insurance providers, but some of them see weight loss as a cosmetic issue and therefore don’t offer coverage for weight loss medications.

We dive into other reasons weight loss drugs aren’t covered by insurance here.

​Do Medicaid and Medicare Cover Weight Loss Drugs?

Medicare doesn’t usually cover weight loss drugs.

Medicaid covers some weight loss drugs in some states, though. For example, Medicaid doesn’t currently cover Zepbound®, but it does cover Wegovy® in some states. If eligible, you could get Wegovy for $3 or less.

Check Wegovy’s website or your state’s Medicaid website to find out if you can get insurance coverage.

The cost of injectable weight loss drugs without insurance depends on which weight loss drug you go for and where you purchase it from. But you can generally expect to pay about $1,000 to $2,000 a month.

We’ve broken down the list price given by each drug’s manufacturer and the price you can expect to find from pharmacies and telehealth companies to help give you a more specific idea:

There are, of course, more weight loss drugs than this. Prices vary here too.

For example, Hers offers low-cost weight loss medication kits starting from $79 per month. These could include weight loss medications like metformin, topiramate, or bupropion.

Keep in mind that weight loss drugs are prescription drugs, so you’ll need to connect with a healthcare provider to get them. If you don’t have health insurance, you may have to pay for this consultation too.

You might have noticed that compounded GLP-1s are the cheapest weight loss injection option— and there’s quite a dramatic drop in price. Here’s the deal.

Compounded drugs are drugs may have been changed in some way from the version approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

This could include:

• Adding a new ingredient

• Removing an ingredient

• Combining different drugs

It’s legal to make compounded versions of a drug when a drug is on the FDA’s drug shortage list.

There are currently shortages of GLP-1s — that’s glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists — including the weight loss drugs:

• Semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy)

• Tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound)

• Liraglutide (Victoza® and Saxenda®)

A compounded GLP-1 uses the same active ingredient as its non-compounded cousin, but it’s not the exact same medication. The FDA hasn’t approved it as safe or effective.

However, if you get compounded GLP-1s from a trustworthy source, they can be a more available and more affordable weight loss treatment.

As we mentioned above:

• Hers compounded GLP-1s start from $199 a month. Each batch is quality-tested and made in FDA-regulated U.S. facilities with ingredients from FDA-regulated suppliers.

• Brand name GLP-1s, like Ozempic and Wegovy, cost around $1,000 to $2,000 a month.

One more thing: For now, there are no generic versions of GLP-1s like Ozempic and Wegovy.

With insurance coverage, your weight loss drug costs could be zero...or you could have some out-of-pocket costs. It depends on your plan and whether you have any copays or deductibles.

You may also be eligible for manufacturer savings programs or rebates that can help cut down your costs.

For example, Novo Nordisk — the drugmaker behind Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus — offers savings cards for each of its medications. Offers vary depending on the drug you’re prescribed.

If eligible, you could:

• Save up to $150 per one-month supply of Ozempic and pay as little as $25 per prescription.

• Save up to $225 per month on Wegovy and pay as little as $0 per prescription.

• Save up to $300 per one-month supply of Rybelsus and pay as little as $10 a month.

Keep in mind these savings programs can change at any moment and they have an expiration date.

The Ozempic savings card, for one, is currently only available for 24 months, so your costs may increase drastically in two years’ time.

As you may end up taking a weight loss drug for an extended time, it’s important to check expiry dates and factor this into your decision when looking into weight loss treatments.

If you have overweight, obesity, or a weight-related condition, weight loss drugs can help you take charge of your health and improve your quality of life.

But there’s a catch (isn’t there always?). The cost of weight loss drugs can be off-putting or a complete barrier stopping you from getting treatment.

Here are the key takeaways:

• Weight loss drugs are expensive. Weight loss drugs can set you back between $1,000 and $2,000 per month. That’s right. Per. Month. And you may need to take the drugs for a long period of time.

• They’re not usually covered by insurance. Double or triple check your plan just in case, but you’ll probably have to pay out of pocket for weight loss drugs. That said, you can look into savings programs, rebates, and coupons to cut down your costs.

• Compounded weight loss drugs are more affordable. Hers compounded GLP1-s are made in U.S. FDA-regulated facilities with ingredients from FDA-regulated suppliers. They use the same active ingredients as their non-compounded counterparts and start from $199 a month.

Whether you’re considering a compounded GLP-1, a brand name weight loss drug, or another weight loss treatment entirely — or you just want expert advice on your options — we can help.

With our free online assessment, you can get personalized advice from a healthcare provider and find the best weight loss treatment(s) for you.