- Without insurance, Zepbound costs $299 to $449 a month on LillyDirect and Wegovy pens cost $349 a month ($199 for a new patient's first 2 fills) on NovoCare; the Wegovy pill starts at $149.1,4
- List prices are much higher: $1,349.02 per package for Wegovy and up to $1,086.37 per fill for Zepbound. Your insurance cost may be tied to those.3,4
- With commercial coverage, both makers offer savings cards from $25 a month. Medicare's new GLP-1 Bridge charges $50 a month for eligible people.2,5,8
Three kinds of price: list, self-pay and insurance
- List price is what the maker charges wholesalers. Lilly calls it the wholesale acquisition cost. People with high-deductible plans or coinsurance can end up paying a share of it.3,6
- Self-pay price is what you pay buying directly through LillyDirect or NovoCare with a prescription, without using insurance. Lilly says its direct-to-patient price is not the list price and is only for cash-paying patients.3
- Insurance price is your copay or coinsurance if your plan covers the drug. Both makers' savings cards can lower that, but people with government insurance are excluded from them.2,4
How much does Zepbound cost per month without insurance?
Tirzepatide (Zepbound) self-pay comes in two forms on LillyDirect: 4 single-dose vials (you buy needles and syringes separately) or a multi-dose KwikPen with 4 doses (you buy pen needles). The price is the same for both. Lilly defines a month as 28 days.1,2
| Zepbound dose | Self-pay, vial or KwikPen | If not refilled within 45 days |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg | $299 | $299 |
| 5 mg | $399 | $399 |
| 7.5 mg | $449 | $499 |
| 10 mg, 12.5 mg, 15 mg | $449 | $699 |
The single-dose Zepbound autoinjector pen is not part of the self-pay program. Lilly says the $299 price "is for the Zepbound KwikPen or vial, not Zepbound single-dose Pen." If you have commercial insurance that does not cover Zepbound, Lilly's savings card can bring the single-dose pen down to as low as $499 a month.2
How much does Wegovy cost without insurance?
Semaglutide (Wegovy) comes as a weekly pen and a daily pill. Novo Nordisk sells both through NovoCare home delivery or local pharmacy pickup.4
| Wegovy form and dose | Self-pay per month |
|---|---|
| Pen 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg, first 2 fills for new patients | $199 (through December 31, 2026) |
| Pen 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, 2.4 mg | $349 |
| Wegovy HD pen 7.2 mg | $399 |
| Pill 1.5 mg | $149 |
| Pill 4 mg | $199 |
| Pill 9 mg or 25 mg | $299 |
For more on the pill and the higher pen dose, see oral semaglutide for weight loss and Wegovy 7.2 mg.
Zepbound vs Wegovy cost: which is cheaper?
At the usual top doses on self-pay, Wegovy 2.4 mg pens are $100 a month less than Zepbound 15 mg. Price is only one difference: the two medicines also differ in how much weight people lost in trials, so the cheaper option is not automatically the better value. See semaglutide vs tirzepatide. Which medicine and dose fit you is a decision for you and your prescriber.
What if you have insurance?
If your commercial plan covers the drug, both makers offer a savings card:
- Zepbound single-dose pen: pay as little as $25 for a 1-, 2- or 3-month fill. Savings are capped at $100 per month and $1,300 per calendar year.2
- Wegovy pen or pill: pay as little as $25 a month, with savings capped at $100 a month.5
Because of those caps, people with a high deductible or coinsurance can still pay much more than $25. Novo Nordisk has said it will cut the list price of Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus to $675 a month from January 1, 2027, mainly to help people whose costs are linked to list price. It says this does not change self-pay prices.6
Why is GLP-1 insurance coverage so often denied?
Many plans exclude weight-loss drugs or require prior authorization, meaning your prescriber must show you meet the plan's rules before it pays. A 2026 study of a national pharmacy claims database (2018 to 2024) found:9
- 7.9% of people had their first GLP-1 prescription claim denied.
- Denials were far more common for obesity-labeled brands such as Wegovy and Zepbound than for diabetes-labeled brands (16.8% vs 6.3%), and higher in Medicaid than in commercial plans (12.6% vs 5.6%).
- Only 34.1% of people with a denied first claim got a paid fill within 90 days.
Medicaid coverage for obesity is limited. A 2026 study notes that few state Medicaid programs cover obesity-labeled GLP-1s; 9 states began covering them between 2021 and 2024.10 Your plan's formulary, or a call to the number on your card, is the only way to know your own coverage.
Does Medicare cover Zepbound or Wegovy?
The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge is a CMS program running from July 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027. Eligible Part D enrollees pay a $50 copay for a one-month supply. It covers Wegovy (injection or pill), the Zepbound KwikPen and Foundayo (orforglipron), but not Zepbound single-dose vials or pens.8
- You must be 18 or older and meet BMI rules when you start: a BMI of 35 or higher; or 30 or higher with heart failure, uncontrolled high blood pressure or stage 3a or worse kidney disease; or 27 or higher with prediabetes, a prior heart attack or stroke, or symptomatic peripheral artery disease.8
- Your prescriber completes a prior authorization and certifies you are in a diet and exercise program.8
- People with type 2 diabetes, moderate-to-severe sleep apnea or fatty liver disease are directed to their regular Part D plan, which Medicare says should cover GLP-1s for those conditions. People already getting a GLP-1 through Part D are not eligible.8
The $50 does not count toward the Part D deductible or out-of-pocket limit, and the makers' savings cards cannot be used with it.8 More on orforglipron: orforglipron weight loss.
Can you buy Wegovy at Costco?
Novo Nordisk said in January 2026 that the Wegovy pill is available at more than 70,000 US pharmacies "such as CVS and Costco," and through select telehealth providers.7 We did not find an official page confirming a separate Costco or Walmart price for Wegovy or Zepbound, so we do not list one. Ask the pharmacy whether it accepts the maker's self-pay price.
What about compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide?
Compounded versions are often sold for less, but the FDA states that "compounded drugs are not FDA approved," meaning it does not review them for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are sold.11 See compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide for what the FDA has reported.
Common questions
How much does Zepbound cost per month without insurance?
On LillyDirect in November 2026, Zepbound vials and KwikPens cost $299 a month for 2.5 mg, $399 for 5 mg and $449 for 7.5 mg to 15 mg if you refill within 45 days. Without an on-time refill, Lilly lists $499 for 7.5 mg and $699 for 10 mg to 15 mg.
How much does Wegovy cost without insurance?
Novo Nordisk's self-pay price in November 2026 is $349 a month for Wegovy pens from 0.25 mg to 2.4 mg and $399 for the 7.2 mg Wegovy HD pen. New patients can pay $199 a month for their first 2 fills of 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg through December 31, 2026. The Wegovy pill costs $149 to $299 a month depending on strength.
Is Zepbound or Wegovy cheaper?
At the top maintenance doses on the makers' self-pay programs in November 2026, Wegovy 2.4 mg pens cost $349 a month and Zepbound 15 mg vials or KwikPens cost $449 a month with on-time refills. At the starting dose, Zepbound 2.5 mg costs $299 and the Wegovy pill 1.5 mg costs $149.
Does Medicare cover Zepbound or Wegovy for weight loss?
Through the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, running July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027, eligible Part D enrollees pay a $50 copay a month for Wegovy pens or pills or the Zepbound KwikPen for weight management. It needs prior authorization and BMI-based eligibility, and it does not cover Zepbound single-dose vials or pens.
Why is my GLP-1 insurance claim denied?
In a national claims study of 2018 to 2024 published in 2026, first prescriptions for obesity-labeled GLP-1 brands such as Wegovy and Zepbound were denied 16.8% of the time, vs 6.3% for diabetes-labeled brands. Common reasons are plan exclusions for weight-loss drugs and prior authorization rules.
Sources
- Eli Lilly and Company. LillyDirect: Zepbound (self-pay prices for KwikPen and single-dose vial; insurance price for single-dose pen). Accessed November 6, 2026.
- Eli Lilly and Company. Zepbound coverage and savings, including terms and conditions. Accessed November 6, 2026.
- Eli Lilly and Company. Zepbound cost information (list price and direct-to-patient price). Accessed November 6, 2026.
- Novo Nordisk. NovoCare: Price your Wegovy (self-pay, list price and savings offer). Accessed November 6, 2026.
- Novo Nordisk. Save on Wegovy. Accessed November 6, 2026.
- Novo Nordisk. Novo Nordisk lowers Wegovy and Ozempic list price. Press release, February 24, 2026.
- Novo Nordisk. Wegovy pill available nationwide. Press release, January 5, 2026.
- Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Medicare GLP-1 Bridge; Medicare.gov, Weight loss drugs. Accessed November 6, 2026.
- Jia M, Levy JF, McGinty EE, et al. Prescription denials for GLP-1 receptor agonists across commercial, Medicare, and Medicaid coverage, 2018-2024. Health Aff Sch. 2026;4(10):qxag284. doi:10.1093/haschl/qxag284 · Full text (PMC)
- Khanna R, Wang MC, Venkataramani AS. GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Coverage for Obesity in Medicaid and Total GLP-1 Receptor Agonist Utilization. JAMA Health Forum. 2026;7(9):e263353. doi:10.1001/jamahealthforum.2026.3353 · Full text (PMC)
- US Food and Drug Administration. FDA's concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss. Updated October 1, 2026.
