How much is Mounjaro without insurance?

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

Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is a brand-name prescription drug FDA-approved to control blood sugar levels in people with Type 2 diabetes. However, some healthcare professionals prescribe Mounjaro off-label for weight loss. Injected once per week, tirzepatide increases insulin production, reduces appetite, and causes weight loss. Mounjaro can only be purchased at a premium price. Only some insurance providers will cover it. Fortunately, a few savings strategies can help reduce the cost of Mounjaro.

Related: Mounjaro side effects

What is the generic for Mounjaro?

Mounjaro can only be purchased as a premium-priced brand-name drug. The active ingredient, tirzepatide, is not currently available as a generic. The earliest a generic version of Mounjaro may be available is 2036.

You may see compounded versions of generic tirzepatide marketed online or with certain prescribers. Compounded drugs do not have the same FDA regulations and oversight as commercially available products. In some cases, they do not contain the exact same active ingredient. Speak to a pharmacist or health care provider for more information on compounded versions of drugs like Monjauro.

Is Mounjaro covered by insurance?

Some insurance plans and Medicare Part D drug plans cover Mounjaro for Type 2 diabetes, but some don’t. Before filling a prescription, check with the insurance company. Insurance plans covering Mounjaro tend to place the drug in their highest copay or non-formulary tier. The copay cost could be high. The final out-of-pocket cost could include deductibles, coinsurance, or coverage gap costs.

Medicaid may or may not cover a Mounjaro prescription. It will depend on the state. The VA and Tricare classify Mounjaro as non-formulary, so a prescription will only be covered with prior authorization if certain criteria are met.

If Mounjaro is prescribed for obesity, health insurance providers will not cover it.

How much does Mounjaro cost without insurance?

Without insurance coverage, the list price for a 28-day supply of Mounjaro (4, 0.5 mL of 5 mg/0.5 mL auto-injector pens) costs $1580. That means each weekly dose costs almost $400. A year of Mounjaro treatment will cost nearly $19,000 at the full retail price.

People without insurance should ask the prescriber about other drugs similar to Mounjaro called glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists. They, too, are premium-priced brand-name drugs, but they cost about $300 less per month than Mounjaro. They include Ozempic (semaglutide), Trulicity (dulaglutide), and Victoza (liraglutide), all injections similar to Mounjaro. Rybelsus (semaglutide), a once-a-day oral tablet, is another alternative that could save hundreds of dollars per month.

If any of these drugs prove too challenging to afford every month, ask the prescriber for medical advice about other Type 2 diabetes medications that haven’t been tried yet. Many are available in low-priced generic versions. However, their effectiveness will differ, as will side effects and drug interactions. Most do not dramatically affect body weight as much as the GLP-1 agonists do.

The best alternative may be to use a SingleCare prescription discount card. People using SingleCare at a participating pharmacy could pay as little as $1,000 for a 28-day supply of Mounjaro.

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 link under “Savings options” to see the latest drug prices.

How to get Mounjaro without insurance

Brand-name prescription drugs are often challenging to squeeze into a budget. With a monthly price tag of $1,580, Mounjaro is no exception. As with other premium-priced prescription drugs, the manufacturer, Eli Lilly, offers a patient assistance program and a Mounjaro savings card. However, not everyone who applies will qualify. Fortunately, those aren’t the only options to save money. The first step is to unlock immediate savings with a SingleCare savings card.

1. Use a SingleCare prescription discount card

With a SingleCare Mounjaro coupon, uninsured patients can get Mounjaro for as little as $1,000. Depending on the pharmacy, other Mounjaro discount prices may be higher. Check the current prices on SingleCare’s Mounjaro coupons page. 

2. Shop around for the lowest price

Comparing pharmacy prices can net savings of as much as $400. That’s the difference between the lowest pharmacy price for Mounjaro and the average retail price. To compare prices, use SingleCare’s average price history table for Mounjaro. 

3. Ask the prescriber about other GLP-1 agonists

The prescriber may be able to recommend another drug similar to Mounjaro called a GLP-1 receptor agonist. These alternatives may cost hundreds of dollars less per month than the cost of Mounjaro.

4. Ask the prescriber for medical advice about cheaper diabetes drugs

The prescribing healthcare provider may have good medical advice about alternative blood glucose-lowering drugs that haven’t yet been tried. Many are available as generics, so the cost could be dramatically lower than Mounjaro. 

5. Ask the prescriber about other weight loss medications

If Mounjaro is prescribed off-label for weight management, then insurance won’t help. Everyone will pay the full cash price. If that price is too much, consider switching to another weight loss drug such as Xenical (orlistat) and Adipex-P (phentermine).

6. Enroll in Medicaid

If you qualify for Medicaid, there’s still a chance that your state doesn’t cover Mounjaro. However, another drug similar to Mounjaro may be. Start by visiting your state’s Medicaid website for eligibility information. Enrollment can be done online or with the help of a local health department representative.