How much is Wegovy without insurance?

Is Wegovy covered by insurance? | How much does Wegovy cost without insurance? | How to get Wegovy without insurance

Wegovy is a brand-name prescription drug used along with a reduced-calorie diet and physical activity for chronic weight management. Healthcare providers prescribe the drug only for people with a body mass index over 30 or who have risk factors for heart disease such as high blood pressure or high cholesterol and a BMI of 27 or greater. The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide, a drug originally sold as brand-name Ozempic to reduce blood sugar in people with Type 2 diabetes. One side effect was decreased appetite and unintentional weight loss often occurred, so the manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, formulated Wegovy as a weight loss drug. Unfortunately, Wegovy is a premium-priced drug that could cost $20,000 a year. Insurance often does not cover it, so even people with health insurance can benefit from ways to save money.

What is the generic for Wegovy?

Semaglutide is the active ingredient and generic name for Wegovy, but there is no generic version on the market. Generic semaglutide injections for weight loss will not be available until at least 2033 when the patents “run out.”

Is Wegovy covered by insurance?

Wegovy is covered by rare employer-based and commercial insurance plans. Most insurance providers do not cover Wegovy. Insurance companies covering Wegovy usually place it in higher copay tiers. The final out-of-pocket cost of Wegovy is determined by other insurance plan payments, such as coinsurance or deductibles.

Medicare drug plans do not cover weight loss drugs like Wegovy. Medicaid coverage for Wegovy varies by state. People with VA benefits do have obesity drug coverage, but Wegovy is a non-formulary drug at the VA. People in the military do have coverage for Wegovy, but approval requires prior authorization.

How much does Wegovy cost without insurance?

People without insurance can expect to pay about $1,800 for four Wegovy auto-injectors with 0.5 mL of 0.25 mg/0.5 mL solution, which covers four weeks of treatment (28 days). At that price, a weekly dose costs about $450. A year of Wegovy treatment adds up to nearly $21,000.

There are less expensive alternatives. Ozempic is the same drug as Wegovy, but a 28-day supply of Ozempic costs about $1,250. Rybelsus also has the same active ingredient as Wegovy but is taken as an oral tablet. A 30-day supply of brand-name Rybelsus costs about $1,280. The drug is the same in both cases, but the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not approved these other drugs for weight loss.

Drugs that work, like semaglutide, are also lower-priced. These drugs are called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. They all work the same way in reducing blood sugar levels, curbing appetite, and causing weight loss. GLP-1 receptor agonists are FDA approved for Type 2 diabetes all cost about $500 less per month than Wegovy, including Mounjaro (tirzepatide), Victoza (liraglutide), and Trulicity (dulaglutide). The only exception is Saxenda (liraglutide), another weight management drug. It costs as much as Wegovy.

However, all GLP-1 agonists are premium-priced, costing over $1,000 every month. If these drugs are not affordable, ask the prescribing healthcare provider for medical advice about other weight loss drugs, including Adipex-P (phentermine) and Xenical (orlistat). 

The best Wegovy savings may be found with a SingleCare prescription discount card. With SingleCare, the lowest price for a month’s worth of Wegovy is only $1,200. 

Prescription drug prices often change. These are the most accurate medication prices at the time of publishing. The listed price without insurance references the price of brand-name drugs (unless otherwise specified). The listed SingleCare price references the price of generic drugs if available. Click the “Savings options” link to see the latest drug prices.

How to get Wegovy without insurance

Wegovy is a premium-priced brand-name drug that is not always covered by health insurance. Fortunately, a few strategies can help save money. 

1. Use a SingleCare savings card

The lowest SingleCare price for four weekly injections of Wegovy is $1,200, a savings of $600. Yearly savings could add up to over $7,000. Since discount prices vary by participating pharmacies, browse the best prices on SingleCare’s Wegovy coupons page. 

2. Buy Wegovy at the lowest price

The lowest pharmacy price for Wegovy is currently about $1,590. The highest? $3,000. Get significant savings by searching SingleCare for your prescription to find out which pharmacy has the best price.

3. Ask the prescriber about alternative GLP-1 agonists

If insurance coverage is lacking, switching to another GLP-1 agonist can save hundreds of dollars a month. The active ingredient in Wegovy is also the active ingredient in Ozempic and Rybelsus, but the price is about $500 lower than the monthly cost of Wegovy.

4. Ask the prescriber about other weight loss medications

If other FDA-approved weight loss medications haven’t yet been tried, ask the prescribing healthcare about alternatives to expensive GLP-1 agonists like Wegovy. You can find a list of common Wegovy alternatives here. Keep in mind that these drugs may not be as effective and will have different side effects and drug interactions.