How to Cut the Cost of Ozempic: Doctors Share 5 Ways to Save After FDA Compounding Ban
From Ozempic savings cards to Zepbound vials, how to save on popular weight-loss meds as prices soar
Not long ago, the FDA announced there’s no longer a shortage of Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound or similar drugs used for weight loss. Is that good news for the millions of us who struggle with excess pounds? Not exactly. During the shortage, pharmacies were allowed to make special low-cost ‘compounded’ versions of the meds. But that ends on April 22. “Now the only option will be to find the best possible deal on traditional forms of the drugs,” says NYU’s Alexandra Sowa, MD, author of The Ozempic Revolution. Here, she and other experts help us do just that.
What is Ozempic and how much weight can you lose with it?
Ozempic is part of a class of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, originally created to treat diabetes. They’re a synthetic version of the natural hormone GLP-1, but they stay in our blood longer, so they’re “up to 1,000 times stronger,” says Dr. Sowa. Most are administered via a painless weekly injection. The most potent effect: “They tell the brain to not think about food,” she says. They also slow digestion, so you stay physically full longer. Plus, they help the pancreas manage blood sugar, a factor that improves diabetes and allows fat to burn faster.
Ozempic and Wegovy are brands of the drug semaglutide and “help an average person lose 15 percent of their body weight,” says the doc. Mounjaro and Zepbound, brands of the drug tirzepatide, “help you lose up to 25 percent of your body weight.”
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There can be side effects, especially for those prone to GI trouble. But if you and your healthcare provider decide you’re a candidate, “weight loss is unprecedented,” says Weill Cornell Medicine obesity expert Louis J. Aronne, MD, whose research on the drugs appeared in JAMA.
Why Medicare and insurance plans resisted covering Ozempic and other GLP-1 meds
It’s this simple: The price tag. Yale and Harvard research recently found that semaglutide could be profitably sold for $5 per month, yet the out-of-pocket rate is an exorbitant $1,000 or more per month. So we asked Dr. Sowa to help us break down ways to make GLP-1 meds more affordable.
The #1 way to save on Ozempic and GLP-1 meds: insurance
Your cheapest option is usually (but not always) getting insurance or Medicare to pony up. “Patients often assume they aren’t covered and we find out they are,” says Dr. Sowa. That’s because GLP-1 meds are FDA-approved to treat conditions besides obesity and diabetes. For example, even Medicare may cover semaglutide for heart patients or tirzepatide for sleep apnea. With health insurance coverage, a co-pay for a brand-name drug is about $50 per month. Tip: “An obesity medicine specialist is typically best at getting you prior authorization,” says Dr. Sowa.
4 more ways to save on Ozempic and GLP-1 meds
• Savings cards and programs
If you have insurance, apply for a savings card from your insurer. You may be offered Ozempic or Zepbound for as little as $25 a month for 48 months. But the price with these cards is often higher. In a TikTok video, Jennah Siwak, MD, an obesity medicine expert with hundreds of thousands of followers, says the latest Zepbound savings cards usually require “paying $650 a month.”
If you have a low income, you may qualify for free meds through a patient-assistance program. To learn more and apply, go to Mounjaro.Lilly.com for Mounjaro or Novocare.com for Ozempic.
• Zepbound vials and new self-pay options
On February 25, drug company Eli Lilly announced it will sell 7.5- and 10-mg vials of Zepbound directly to consumers for $499 a month from its Lilly Direct pharmacy (as long as you refill regularly). With vials, you draw up injections yourself rather than using preportioned pens. “This is still not affordable for the vast majority of people,” Dr. Siwak said in a new post. Plus, many folks need 15-mg doses.
There is also an option to get Wegovy for $499 a month from the manufacturer’s NovoCare Pharmacy or any retail pharmacy. Dr. Siwak noted folks were hoping for a deeper discount for a drug that’s less powerful than Zepbound. Even so, she says it’s a sign that more options are being made available and some costs are coming down.
• The first generic GLP-1 drug
The patent has expired for an early GLP-1 drug called Victoza, which is a daily injection (versus weekly for most GLP-1 meds). Its generic, liraglutide, is now available. Wonky FDA regulations mean it’s not a true bargain yet. But as more companies produce the generic, experts predict prices will soon fall between 50 percent and 60 percent, landing as low as $155 per month.
• GoodRx and Cost Plus
These services go around insurance and benefit-management companies, cutting out middlemen to save you about $100 per month and sometimes more. You don’t need insurance to use them, and if you have bad insurance, you might get a better deal with these services. “It’s something I recommend to my patients on a daily basis,” Dr. Siwak has shared. GoodRx (GoodRx.com) gives you coupons to use at any pharmacy; Cost Plus (CostPlusDrugs.com) is a pharmacy service run by entrepreneur Mark Cuban; it has the GLP-1 drug liraglutide and is working to offer more.
Can’t afford any of these GLP-1 options? Multiple experts we spoke to mentioned that alternatives like phentermine and Contrave may lower body weight by about 10 percent—and some cost pennies a day.
What if you can only afford weight-loss drugs for a short time?
Just like meds for high cholesterol, GLP-1 meds can be taken indefinitely to manage obesity, says Dr. Sowa. Yet, that may not be the only way to go. Earlier this year, a health software company released an analysis of records for 20,274 Ozempic, Wegovy and liraglutide users showing that 66 percent of them kept off significant weight after discontinuing the meds. The takeaway? At least until prices drop, it may be possible to simply use GLP-1 drugs occasionally, keeping money in your pocket as your weight stays low and your health soars.
Real story: She lost 98 pounds with GLP-1s; now she’s considering saving with Zepbound vials
“I was always ‘the bigger friend,’” recalls Ashley Zeffiro, who once weighed 232 pounds. The New Jersey mom, 39, had success slimming down on her own and with Weight Watchers. But when her mom passed in 2021, stress eating led to regaining weight. “I couldn’t get back down again,” she says. So she began using compounded tirzepatide for $300 per month. “I felt the effect immediately. For the first time ever, I’d go hours without thinking about food. It made it easy to do what I knew I was supposed to do, like prioritizing protein and fiber. Or having just one cookie instead of the whole batch.” She had no side effects. Today, Ashley’s down 98 pounds and in great health. She feels amazing, but she worries about rising prices. “I’m looking into Zepbound vials—and hoping something happens to bring the costs down. Because these drugs have been life-changing for me!” For more from Ashley, follow @AshleyTracks on Instagram.
Additional reporting by Cailey Griffin
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