Mounjaro cost: how to save money on Mounjaro for weight loss

If you’ve heard about Mounjaro (tirzepatide) for weight loss, you’ve probably also heard that the drug costs a lot. As a new drug — released in spring 2022 — no generic version is available, and the brand name can be expensive. This is also the case with other GLP1 medications, such as Ozempic and Wegovy. 

Fortunately, Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro Savings card and pharmacy coupons can help you save on the cost of Mounjaro. Read on as we review the typical cost of Mounjaro with and without insurance, and how you can save on this weight-loss drug.

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How much does Mounjaro cost without insurance? 

You might be wondering how much Mounjaro costs without insurance. Well, it’s a pretty expensive drug. Mounjaro (tirzepatide) is injected once per week, with each pen containing that week’s dose of the medication. The list price for Mounjaro is $1,023.04 for a month’s supply (four pre-filled pens of Mounjaro). That breaks down to $255.76 per week, or $13,299.52 per year. 

The list price represents the cost at which Eli Lilly sells Mounjaro to pharmacies and retailers. It does not represent the actual retail price of the drug, or factor in any insurance copays or Mounjaro coupons. How much you will end up paying for Mounjaro will depend on your insurance coverage, the pharmacy you use, and whether you have been prescribed Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes or for weight loss.

Does insurance cover Mounjaro? 

Now that we know how much Mounjaro costs without insurance, let’s take a look at how the price goes down if insurance covers Mounjaro. But first things first: not all insurance plans cover Mounjaro. Some insurance plans may cover it for treating type 2 diabetes—the condition Mounjaro is FDA-approved to treat—but not for treating obesity alone, which is an off-label use of Mounjaro. Sometimes, you may need prior authorization from your healthcare provider for Mounjaro. To see if your insurance offers coverage for Mounjaro, review your plan’s prescription drug coverage or call your insurance to ask.

Does Medicaid cover Mounjaro?

While some Medicaid programs cover weight loss drugs, others may require prior authorization or other treatments to be tried first. As a newer drug, Mounjaro may not be covered by Medicaid. The best way to find out if Mounjaro is covered is to contact your state Medicaid agency and review your plan’s drug formulary. 

Does Medicare cover Mounjaro?

Generally, Medicare prescription drug plans like Medicare Part D do not cover weight loss drugs. To see if Mounjaro is covered, review your plan’s formulary. If Mounjaro is not listed, you may be able to work with your healthcare provider to request an exception.

How to get your insurance to cover Mounjaro

Your private or commercial insurance company probably only covers Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss, which is an off-label use. Without insurance, the average monthly cost of Mounjaro can be around $1,200 per month, depending on the pharmacy. The good news is that if you have commercial insurance and type 2 diabetes, you could pay as little as $25 for a 1-month supply of the medication with a Mounjaro Savings Card (more on that below). 

If you're trying to get Mounjaro covered by your health insurance, there are three things you can do: 

1. Talk to your healthcare provider: Before checking insurance coverage for Mounjaro, you need to ensure the medication is suitable for you. Talk to your doctor about whether Mounjaro is the right choice. Once you get a prescription for Mounjaro, you can look into insurance coverage

2. Check in with your insurance provider: Contact your health insurance provider to see whether your plan covers the medication. Make sure you also ask about your insurance plan’s out-of-pocket costs and if prior authorization is needed. Before contacting your insurance provider, you can review your health insurance plan’s drug list (also known as a drug formulary), which you can find in your plan information. 

3. Be persistent: If your insurance plan does not provide coverage for Mounjaro, you may be able to request it with the help of your healthcare provider. Eli Lilly offers a sample letter template of medical necessity your healthcare provider can use to request coverage. 

Can you get Mounjaro for free? 

Getting Mounjaro for free would mean that your insurance fully covers the cost of the drug, and you don’t have a deductible and/or copay. While this is theoretically possible with certain insurance plans, chances are that you won’t get Mounjaro for $0. You will likely pay a copay or a deductible, and how much that will be depends on your insurance plan coverage.

While getting Mounjaro for $0 is unlikely, you might get it for as little as $25 for a 1-month supply.  

How to get Mounjaro for $25 per month

Insurance coverage can help you save on the cost of Mounjaro. You can also find Mounjaro savings through the Mounjaro Savings Card and pharmacy-specific coupons, lowering the cost to as little as $25 for a 1-month supply.

The Mounjaro Savings Card is available through Eli Lilly. Depending on your eligibility, you may pay only $25 for a 1-month or 3-month supply of Mounjaro. To use the Mounjaro Savings Card, you must be a resident of the United States or Puerto Rico, with a Mounjaro prescription for type 2 diabetes, and no prescription drug coverage through federal or state-funded insurance. The Mounjaro Savings Card is only available to people with commercial health insurance. To find out if you are eligible, you can answer a quick 3-question online quiz and download the Mounjaro Savings Card right after.

Individual pharmacies and retailers may offer their own coupons for Mounjaro. According to GoodRx, pharmacies like CVS, Vons, and Rite Aid offer coupons that can bring down the price of Mounjaro by up to 23%. 

How to get Mounjaro for weight loss  

Mounjaro is a prescription medication. To receive a prescription for Mounjaro, you’ll need to make an appointment with your healthcare provider. If you have type 2 diabetes, they may prescribe Mounjaro as a diabetes medication. If you want to get Mounjaro for weight loss, they may prescribe it to you off-label. Off-label may sound sketchy, but is actually quite common and enables licensed clinicians to use their professional judgment to determine the best treatment option and prescribe it to their patients.

You may find it more convenient to get Mounjaro through an online pharmacy like Ro. Online pharmacies use telehealth services to connect you with a licensed healthcare professional, who will review your medical history and recommend treatment during an online visit. If they determine Mounjaro is right for you, you’ll be given a prescription and can order it directly through the platform, with free delivery.

Currently, Mounjaro is only FDA-approved for type 2 diabetes. It is not approved to treat obesity, but it may be in the near future. A recent clinical trial of over 2,500 adults with a BMI of 27 or higher found that over the course of 72 weeks (less than a year and a half), participants lost between 15% and nearly 21% of their body weight. The weight loss effects were dose-dependent, meaning that participants who took a higher dose lost more weight.

Alternatives to Mounjaro 

Recent years have seen the rise of several GLP-1 medications for type 2 diabetes and weight loss. These medications control blood sugar in people with type 2 diabetes. They also tend to result in weight loss, leading many to be FDA-approved for (or prescribed off-label) for weight management specifically.

Mounjaro stands out among these medications for being the only dual glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) and glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist, which may make it more effective at both glycemic control and weight loss. Depending on your personal health situation and insurance coverage, another GLP-1 medication may be a better option for you. Here’s a quick look at the most common alternatives to Mounjaro.

• Ozempic (semaglutide): Similar to Mounjaro, Ozempic is an injectable GLP-1 agonist that treats type 2 diabetes, in combination with diet and exercise. It can also be prescribed off-label for weight loss. Comparing Mounjaro vs. Ozempic, people taking 1 mg of Ozempic lost an average of up to 7% of their body weight, while those taking the highest dose of Mounjaro (15 mg) lost over 20%.

• Wegovy (semaglutide): Wegovy shares the same active ingredient with Ozempic, semaglutide. However, it is FDA-approved specifically for weight management, in combination with diet and exercise, for people with a BMI of 30 and above or a BMI of 27 and above who also have a weight-related medical condition. A weekly dose of the maximum dose of Wegovy (2.4 mg) has been shown to help people lose an average of 15% of body weight

• Saxenda (liraglutide): Saxenda is also FDA-approved for chronic weight management, in combination with diet and exercise. Within one year of starting Saxenda, the majority of participants lost 5–10% of their body weight, according to clinical studies.

• Trulicity (dulaglutide): Trulicity is a GLP-1 agonist for type 2 diabetes that can also lead to weight loss, with decreased appetite being a common side effect. In clinical trials, people taking Trulicity lost between 1% to 2% of their body weight by six months, depending on their dose. When used in higher doses, and in combination with metformin, another diabetes medication, people lost up to 4.6% of their body weight.

• Bydureon (exenatide): Bydureon also treats type 2 diabetes, and can result in weight loss. Some studies indicate it promotes weight loss, along with lower BMIs and waist circumferences, among people who are obese or overweight but don’t have diabetes. However, other studies have found that, over the long term, the weight loss achieved with Bydureon is comparable to that achieved with a reduced-calorie diet.

What’s considered a healthy body weight can vary from person to person. For one-on-one support and a personalized treatment plan for weight loss, consider the Ro Body program.

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How we reviewed this article

Every article on Health Guide goes through rigorous fact-checking by our team of medical reviewers. Our reviewers are trained medical professionals who ensure each article contains the most up-to-date information, and that medical details have been correctly interpreted by the writer.

Current version

November 08, 2023

Written by

Amelia Willson

Fact checked by

Felix Gussone, MD

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About the medical reviewer

Felix Gussone, MD, Ro

Felix Gussone is a physician, health journalist and a Manager, Medical Content & Education at Ro.