Wegovy (semaglutide) is a once-weekly injectable medication used by over 1 million people in the United States. It is approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for chronic weight management in patients with obesity or overweight. In clinical trials, patients who took Wegovy lost about 15% of their body weight (an average of 35 pounds) over 15 months.

While highly effective, Wegovy has a significant price tag. It can cost $1,349.02 per month, depending on insurance coverage. This makes it a costly option for many.

How Much Does Wegovy Cost Without Insurance?

Novo Nordisk (the manufacturer who makes Wegovy) lists the price of Wegovy at $1,349.02 for a 28-day supply. This list price reflects the out-of-pocket cost of Wegovy without health insurance.

Wegovy is an injectable medication for weight management. Patients use prefilled injection pens once a week. A 28-day supply is four weeks' worth of Wegovy. If you break it down more, Wegovy costs about $337.25 per week. Over the course of a year, a Wegovy prescription can cost around $17,585. Wegovy is only available under its brand name; there are no generic versions.

Keep in mind that the medication's cost is in addition to the cost of your doctor visits. You will need to speak to a healthcare provider before you get Wegovy. The cost of seeing a provider raises the overall cost of treatment. Initial telehealth visits cost anywhere from $49 to $129. Ongoing care may cost between $99 and $149 per month. In-person visits are often even more expensive.

The price of weight loss care varies depending on where you live, your insurance coverage, and the provider. However, you should factor in the cost of care with the price of medication to have a more complete picture of what your treatment will cost.

Does Insurance Cover Wegovy?

There are not many insurance plans that cover Weogovy. Some patients may be able to get their Wegovy prescription fully paid for through their health insurance plans. Other plans might require you with copays or deductibles.

Medicare does not cover weight loss medications like Wegovy. Medicaid coverage varies by state.

The five states that offer unrestricted Medicaid coverage (no need for prior authorization) for Wegovy are:

• California
  
• Delaware
  
• Minnesota
  
• Rhode Island
  
• Virginia
  
  

The four states that offer restricted Medicaid coverage (prior authorization is required) for Wegovy are:

• Michigan
  
• New Hampshire
  
• Pennsylvania
  
• Wisconsin
  
  

Talk to your insurance company before purchasing Wegovy to discuss how much of your prescription will be covered by your plan. You may be able to appeal to your insurance provider that Wegovy is medically necessary for your health, making it more likely to get some sort of coverage.

You should also review your insurance plan’s benefits. Benefits may provide coverage for non-essential appointments, prescription medications, and more. Get to know your insurance benefits to ensure you are getting the most out of your plan.

How to Save Money on Wegovy

If the list price of Wegovy has you freaked out, don’t worry: there are several ways you can save money on a Wegovy prescription.

Telehealth services are often far more affordable than in-person care. More affordable provider visits can make the out-of-pocket price of Wegovy less of a barrier. Plus, you can use these appointments to discuss ways to make the price of Wegovy more affordable.

You need to speak to a licensed healthcare professional before you can get Wegovy. In-person doctor visits can be very expensive, especially if you are uninsured or have a high-deductible insurance plan.

Sesame’s online weight loss program costs less than seeing a provider in person. Subscribing to this program will cut your overall health care costs.

Many insurance providers require prior authorization from a healthcare provider before they will cover a portion of your Wegovy prescription. During your visit, your provider can assist you with pre-authorization paperwork to help you get insurance coverage for your medication.

Sesame’s online weight loss program does not cover the cost of weight loss drugs like Wegovy. But providers on Sesame can help you find ways to save money on your prescription.

NovoCare (Novo Nordisk’s information and resource hub) offers an online savings program—sort of like a Wegovy savings card—to help lower the cost of a Wegovy prescription.

Program eligibility is based on your insurance status. Patients with commercial insurance and patients paying for Wegovy out-of-pocket may be eligible for the savings offer.

If you have insurance coverage for Wegovy, you can save up to $225 on every 28-day supply. Patients who do not have insurance coverage or are paying cash can save up to $500 for a 28-day supply.

Apply for savings and learn more about eligibility and restrictions.

Sites like Optum Perks and SingleCare offer savings programs that you can redeem to lower the cost of prescription drugs. They call these programs “Wegovy coupons”, but they are more like savings cards that require membership to use.

In addition, some pharmacies let you order a 90-day supply of Wegovy at a lower cost than what you’d pay with a one or two-month supply. Talk to your healthcare provider to see if you can purchase a 90-day supply of Wegovy. You should also ask your insurance provider about how much of your prescription they will cover.

What’s the Difference Between Wegovy and Ozempic?

Wegovy costs $1,349.02 per 28-day supply without insurance coverage. Ozempic costs about $935.77 per 28-day supply.

Wegovy and Ozempic are both GLP-1 drugs made by Novo Nordisk. They both contain the active ingredient semaglutide. Semaglutide is a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist that helps control blood sugar. It also reduces your appetite and slows stomach emptying which can make you feel fuller longer.

While these two drugs are very similar, there are some key differences between them besides cost.

Wegovy is FDA-approved for weight loss, meaning it is specifically intended to help patients with overweight or obesity lose weight and keep it off. Ozempic is FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes. Its use as a weight loss aid is off-label, meaning weight loss is a side effect of the medication that healthcare providers may use to the patient’s benefit.

The starting dosages of these medications are the same, but the maximum dosage of Wegovy is higher. Clinical trials show that Wegovy is more effective than Ozempic at helping patients lose weight.

Who Can Get a Wegovy Prescription?

Wegovy is FDA-approved for weight management in adults with obesity (a body mass index— BMI—of 30 kg/m2 or greater) or overweight adults (a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or greater) who also have weight-related health conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, or obstructive sleep apnea.

Wegovy is prescribed along with healthy lifestyle changes like a reduced-calorie diet and regular exercise. When you get a Wegovy prescription, your healthcare provider will offer medical advice about how to adjust your diet and start working out. Wegovy is most effective when taken with these healthy habits.

Cheaper Alternatives to Wegovy?

Consider asking your healthcare provider about other GLP-1 drugs. Depending on where you live and your insurance coverage, these drugs may cost less than Wegovy.

Different drugs also cause different side effects, so it’s helpful to discuss all options with your provider before deciding on a treatment plan.

Most GLP-1 drugs are about as expensive as Wegovy. For instance, Trulicity (dulaglutide) costs about $977 per month. Saxenda (liraglutide) is listed at $1,349.02 per month.

GLP-1 alternatives to Wegovy include:

• Trulicity (dulaglutide)
  
• Victoza (liraglutide)
  
• Saxenda (liraglutide)
  
• Mounjaro (tirzepatide)
  
• Zepbound (tirzepatide)
  
  

You can also ask your provider about Rybelsus. Rybelsus is a daily pill that also contains semaglutide. This is often a good option for people who are uncomfortable or cannot use injectable medication.

How Sesame Can Help

If you want more information or are looking to start your weight loss journey, check out Sesame’s online weight loss program. You can get medical advice and a personal treatment plan to help you meet your weight loss goals. Providers can prescribe Wegovy if appropriate. If you are prescribed Wegovy, they can work with you to cut the cost of the medication.

Sources:

• Bald, E., & Raber, H. (2023). Semaglutide (Wegovy) for the Treatment of Obesity. American family physician.
  
• Davies, M., Færch, L., Jeppesen, O. K., Pakseresht, A., Pedersen, S. D., Perreault, L., Rosenstock, J., Shimomura, I., Viljoen, A., Wadden, T. A., Lingvay, I., & STEP 2 Study Group (2021). Semaglutide 2·4 mg once a week in adults with overweight or obesity, and type 2 diabetes (STEP 2): a randomised, double-blind, double-dummy, placebo-controlled, phase 3 trial. Lancet.
  
• Kim, N., Wang, J., Burudpakdee, C., Song, Y., Ramasamy, A., Xie, Y., Sun, R., Kumar, N., Wu, E. Q., & Sullivan, S. D. (2022). Cost-effectiveness analysis of semaglutide 2.4 mg for the treatment of adult patients with overweight and obesity in the United States. Journal of managed care & specialty pharmacy.
  
• Roser, P., Bajaj, S. S., & Stanford, F. C. (2022). International lack of equity in modern obesity therapy: the critical need for change in health policy. International journal of obesity.
  
• Singh, G., Krauthamer, M., & Bjalme-Evans, M. (2022). Wegovy (semaglutide): a new weight loss drug for chronic weight management. Journal of investigative medicine : the official publication of the American Federation for Clinical Research.
  

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