Key Takeaways:
- Tirzepatide can cost $500 to $1,900 a month without insurance.
- More affordable tirzepatide alternatives include semaglutide, compounded GLP-1s, and oral weight loss medications, like metformin.
Tirzepatide (Mounjaro, Zepbound) is a diabetes and weight loss drug that can come with a high price tag. So, how much is tirzepatide?
The cost of tirzepatide ranges from about $500 to $1,900 per month, depending on the type of tirzepatide you get and where you buy it.
We’ll break down how much tirzepatide costs with and without insurance, how to save on medication costs, and more affordable options to consider.
How Much Does Tirzepatide Cost Without Insurance?
Without insurance, tirzepatide can cost $500 to $1,900 a month. The cost varies depending on which type of tirzepatide you’re prescribed, where you live, and where you get your medication.
To give you an idea of what to expect, here’s a breakdown of the cost of tirzepatide medications, including the list price given by the manufacturer, Eli Lilly, and the cost you might see at pharmacies and from telehealth companies.
Mounjaro
- $1,079.77 list price
- $1,000 to $1,300 a month in pharmacies and online
Zepbound
- $1059.87 list price
- $1,000 to $1,300 a month in pharmacies and online
Btw, that $499 through Eli Lilly’s online pharmacy is only available if you refill your monthly prescription within 45 days of the previous month’s delivery. If you don’t, the cost of Zepbound goes up to:
- $599 for a 7.5-milligram (mg) dose
- $599 for a 10-mg dose
- $1,049 for a 15-mg dose
Drug prices are subject to change, of course, but this is the most recent info at the time of publishing.
Additional Costs of Tirzepatide
The price you see for tirzepatide isn’t always the final cost. Tirzepatide is a prescription medication, so you need to connect with a healthcare provider to access it.
On top of the medication price, you may need to pay for:
- Your initial consultation
- Follow-up appointments
- Lab tests
- Membership fees, if you get tirzepatide through some telehealth platforms
Does Insurance Cover Tirzepatide?
Insurance plans don’t usually cover tirzepatide as a weight loss treatment. But it depends on your insurance provider, plan, and health circumstances.
For example, Mounjaro is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to help people with type 2 diabetes manage their blood sugar levels (glycemic control).
The medication is sometimes prescribed off-label for weight loss — that’s when a healthcare provider prescribes a drug for something it isn’t FDA-approved for.
So, if you don’t need Mounjaro for the treatment of type 2 diabetes, your insurance provider probably won’t cover the cost of the drug.
Does Insurance Cover Zepbound?
What about Zepbound? Zepbound is FDA-approved for weight loss and chronic weight management in people with obesity or overweight and a weight-related health condition, like:
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- High cholesterol (dyslipidemia)
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease
- Obstructive sleep apnea
A healthcare provider will probably look at your body mass index (BMI) to determine if you have obesity or overweight. A BMI of 30 or more is classified as obesity, and a BMI of 25 to 30 is classified as overweight.
Even if you meet these requirements, there are still many insurance providers that don’t cover tirzepatide for weight loss.
Some providers don’t see weight loss as a chronic issue despite the many proven health benefits for those with overweight or obesity. Others are waiting for more research to come out, as the drug is still relatively new.
In short, it really depends on your plan and provider.
How Much Does Tirzepatide Cost With Insurance?
If your insurance plan covers it, tirzepatide could cost you from $0 to several hundred dollars a month. Again, it depends on the type of tirzepatide you get and your specific plan.
Your insurer may cover the total tirzepatide price — lucky you! — or you might have to pay a copay or deductible and foot some of the bill yourself.
Medicaid covers Zepbound in some situations. For example, some Medicaid plans cover Zepbound for sleep apnea and obesity, but not obesity alone.
Check Zepbound’s website and your state’s Medicaid website to see if you’re eligible.
If you have Medicare, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get tirzepatide covered for weight loss. But it’s worth checking your plan, just in case.
How to Save on Tirzepatide
Does the cost of tirzepatide make you — and your wallet — want to cry? We’ve got you. There are ways you can reduce the cost of tirzepatide medication if it’s something you’re considering.
You can:
- Consider compounded tirzepatide
- Look for coupons, discounts, and savings cards
- Buy a 90-day supply (it can work out cheaper than a 1-month supply)
- Sign up for manufacturer savings programs
Read on for more info.
Compounded Tirzepatide
What about tirzepatide compound prices? Compounded tirzepatide contains tirzepatide, and compounded medications are often less expensive than brand-name medications.
Compounded medications are formulated for people who require something other than what’s commercially available. This could be because they need:
- A specific dose
- An alternative form (like liquid drops)
- A formulation without an ingredient they’re allergic to
Compounded tirzepatide prices range from around $300 to $500 a month.
Heads up: Compounded medications aren’t approved by the FDA. That means the FDA doesn’t verify their safety or effectiveness. So, if you’re considering compounded tirzepatide, it’s important to get a prescription from a licensed healthcare provider through a reputable company. And watch out for very low tirzepatide prices that may be too good to be true.
How about tirzepatide generic prices? There isn’t a generic form of this drug yet, which is part of why the brand-name price tag is so high.
Eli Lilly’s Savings Programs for Tirzepatide
Eli Lilly offers payment-assistance programs for some customers to lower the cost of tirzepatide. These programs typically only support people who already have insurance coverage for tirzepatide — which, as we’ve established, isn’t common.
For instance, if you’re eligible and have commercial insurance that covers Mounjaro, you could save up to:
- $150 per 1-month prescription
- $300 per 2-month prescription
- $450 per 3-month prescription
Depending on your insurance policy, you could pay as little as $25 per prescription. You can use this discount on up to 13 prescription fills a year.
If you have commercial health insurance that doesn’t cover Mounjaro and you have type 2 diabetes, you could save up to $463 per one-month prescription.
For Zepbound, you could pay as low as $25 a month if you have insurance that covers the medication. If you have insurance, but it doesn’t cover Zepbound, you could pay as low as $650 per month.
There’s no guarantee that these savings will last. You may end up taking tirzepatide for long-term weight management, so it’s crucial to be aware that your medication costs could go up.
Cheaper Tirzepatide Alternatives
Tirzepatide isn’t the only weight loss medication on the market. There are other options, which can be more affordable.
Compounded GLP-1 Medications
Compounded GLP-1s (glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists) are typically prescribed when brand-name medications are unavailable because of a drug shortage. They might be offered when a provider determines it’s medically necessary for a specific patient — for example, due to allergies or tailored dosing needs.
As with any medication, it’s important to work with a licensed provider and pharmacy to ensure quality and safety.
Semaglutide (Wegovy, Ozempic, Rybelsus)
Semaglutide is the active ingredient in the brand-name medications Ozempic, Rybelsus, and Wegovy.
Wegovy is FDA-approved to treat obesity or overweight in people with a weight-related condition. Along with a reduced-calorie diet and exercise, Wegovy can help people lose up to 20 percent of their body weight.
Ozempic and Rybelsus are FDA-approved to treat type 2 diabetes and are sometimes prescribed off-label for weight loss.
Brand-name semaglutide medications can also be pricey. But they may work out slightly cheaper than tirzepatide, depending on where you live and where you fill your prescription.
Here’s a rough rundown of the figures.
Wegovy
$1,349.02/month
Cost per month at pharmacies and online $500–$2,000
Ozempic
$997.58/month
Cost per month at pharmacies and online $500–$1,800
Rybelsus
$997.58/month
Cost per month at pharmacies and online $1,000–$1,200
Again, drug prices are subject to change.
You can also look into liraglutide (Victoza, Saxenda). The monthly cost is often more affordable than tirzepatide.
Oral Weight Loss Medications
Injectable weight loss drugs like semaglutide and tirzepatide may be taking the world by storm. But injections aren’t your only option if you’re considering weight loss medications.
Oral medications that may support weight loss include:
- Bupropion. Bupropion is an antidepressant. It’s sometimes prescribed alongside other medications to help with weight loss.
- Metformin. Metformin is FDA-approved as a diabetes drug. It’s a daily pill that can suppress appetite and improve insulin sensitivity.
- Topiramate. Topiramate is an antiseizure drug used to help those with epilepsy. When it comes to weight loss, it helps by suppressing appetite.
- Naltrexone. Naltrexone can reduce alcohol and opioid cravings. It can also aid in weight loss when prescribed with other medications.
These oral medications are often more affordable than tirzepatide.
How Much Is Tirzepatide? Adding It All Up
The cost of tirzepatide injections depends on which type of tirzepatide you get and where you get it.
Here’s what you need to know about tirzepatide weight loss prices:
- Tirzepatide can be pricey. Without health insurance, you might be looking at $500 to $1,900 a month. Keep in mind, you may need to take tirzepatide for a long time, so the cost could really add up.
- Insurance providers don’t often cover tirzepatide. Check your insurance plan to be sure, but insurance providers don’t usually cover tirzepatide for weight loss. If they do, there might be requirements to meet or copays and deductibles, so you could still pay out-of-pocket costs.
- More affordable weight loss medications are available.
Now that you know what you could be paying for tirzepatide, the next step is to chat with a healthcare provider about weight management.
They can let you know if tirzepatide is the right weight loss treatment for you or if another medication — like Wegovy or metformin — could be a better choice.
FAQs
Get answers to frequently asked questions about the cost of tirzepatide below.
How can you get your insurance to cover Zepbound?
You can get your insurance to cover Zepbound if you have obesity, obesity and sleep apnea, or overweight and a weight-related health condition, like high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or type 2 diabetes. Even if you meet these criteria, insurance providers don’t always cover Zepbound.
Where can you get Zepbound if you don’t have insurance?
If you don’t have insurance, you can get Zepbound through your primary care provider or through telehealth platforms.
What’s the cheapest way to get tirzepatide?
The cheapest way to get tirzepatide without insurance is to get it through Eli Lilly’s online pharmacy. The starting dose is $349 a month, and subsequent doses cost $499 a month. With insurance, the cheapest way to get tirzepatide is to use Eli Lilly’s savings cards to pay as low as $25 a month, depending on your plan.
What’s cheaper, tirzepatide or Ozempic?
Tirzepatide and Ozempic are a similar price if you get them through the manufacturers. Tirzepatide through Eli Lilly costs $500 a month, and Ozempic through Novo Nordisk also costs $500 a month.
Through pharmacies and online, however, Ozempic can be cheaper than tirzepatide. Ozempic is $500 to $1,800 a month, and tirzepatide costs $1,000 to $1,900 a month.
How much does tirzepatide cost per month?
Tirzepatide costs per month vary depending on which type of tirzepatide you get and where you get it. For example, Mounjaro can cost $1,000 to $1,900 a month, and Zepbound can cost $500 to $1,900 a month.
Can I get tirzepatide for $25 a month?
Yes, you can get tirzepatide for $25 a month — if you qualify for Eli Lilly’s savings card. You’ll need a Zepbound prescription and commercial insurance that covers the medication. The catch? Insurance providers don’t usually cover Zepbound, even if your prescriber says you qualify for the medication.
Related:
- Are Weight Loss Drugs Covered by Insurance?
- How Much Does Semaglutide Cost With and Without Insurance?
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This article originally appeared on Forhers.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
