How much does Wegovy cost?

Wegovy is a once-weekly prescription medication that, when combined with exercise and a low-calorie diet, can help people with obesity or overweight shed extra pounds. The cost of the medication can be prohibitive for some potential patients, but there are ways to get the medication for less than the list price of $1,349.02 per month. 

body program

Fad diets stop here

If appropriate, get effective weight loss treatment prescribed for your body.

Start now

Learn more

Start now

Learn more

Start now

Learn more

How much does Wegovy cost? 

The cost of Wegovy depends on your insurance coverage and the pharmacy you use. A package of Wegovy contains four pens, each pre-filled with a single dose of Wegovy. Without insurance, the list price of Wegovy is $1,349.02 per package, which breaks down to $269.80 per week or $16,188.24 per year.

Even without health insurance, it is possible to save on Wegovy and bring down the cost of Wegovy. Sites like GoodRx aggregate free Wegovy coupons that can be used at a variety of pharmacies — including Walgreens, CVS, and Walmart — helping you save between 7-34% off the retail price. There is currently no generic version of Wegovy available and it will likely be some time before there is.

Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy, offers a savings program. With the WeGoTogether program, you can pay as little as $0 for a 28-day supply of Wegovy if you have private or commercial insurance with prescription drug coverage. For those whose insurance does not cover Wegovy, you can save up to $500 for a 28-day supply with the savings offer.

Does insurance cover Wegovy? 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Wegovy for weight management in 2022. Whether or not Wegovy is covered by your insurance will depend on your prescription drug coverage and the pharmacy you use. To find out if Wegovy is covered by your insurance plan, review your plan’s drug formulary. It lists all the drugs covered in your plan. If Wegovy is not listed, your healthcare provider can write an appeal letter on your behalf to your insurance company requesting an exception. In general, Medicare prescription drug plans do not cover weight loss drugs or other medications used to treat obesity and overweight. However, double-check your specific plan’s prescription drug coverage to be sure.

If you’re a veteran receiving care through the VA, you may be able to get Wegovy covered as part of your treatment plan under the MOVE! Weight Management Program.

Is Wegovy covered by Medicaid? 

As a newly approved weight loss medication, Medicaid programs are playing catch up when it comes to Wegovy coverage, and not all state programs cover it at the time of writing. Check your plan’s formulary or contact your state Medicaid agency to see if Wegovy is covered. If Wegovy is covered, your Medicaid plan may require prior authorization. 

Wegovy vs. Ozempic Cost

In the event that you can’t find access to affordable Wegovy, there are other options available. Ozempic contains the same active ingredient as Wegovy, semaglutide, but isn’t available in the same dosages. The other difference between the medications is that Ozempic is approved to treat type 2 diabetes while Wegovy is approved to facilitate weight management. Still, your healthcare provider can decide which medication is best for you and can choose to prescribe Ozempic off-label for weight loss if they feel it’s the right choice. 

While the starting doses of the two medications are the same, Wegovy is available in higher maximum doses than Ozempic, and clinical trials demonstrating the effectiveness of Wegovy for weight loss showed that the higher doses resulted in significantly more weight loss, making it the better option for people with obesity. Since both medications are started at the same lower doses and slowly titrated up as your body learns to tolerate the medication, a healthcare provider could choose to start with Ozempic and switch to Wegovy down the line if you need a higher dose.

At this time, Wegovy is FDA-approved to help with chronic weight management while Ozempic is not, so if you don’t have diabetes, you’re much more likely to get covered for Wegovy than Ozempic for weight loss by your insurance company. Without insurance, Ozempic costs around $935.77 per month.  

If you also have type 2 diabetes, you may qualify for the Novo Nordisk Patient Assistance Program (PAP), which provides Ozempic and other diabetes medications for free. To qualify for the PAP, you must be a U.S. citizen or legal resident with a total household income at or below 400% of the federal poverty line with no private insurance or health coverage through a federal, state, or government program. You will need to work with your healthcare provider to complete the application and submit it for approval.

Novo Nordisk also offers an Ozempic Savings Card, which can bring the cost of Ozempic down by $150 for a one-month prescription, $300 for a two-month prescription, and $450 for a three-month prescription. Similar to the Wegovy Savings card, you must have private or commercial insurance and meet certain eligibility requirements to qualify.

The bottom line: Both Wegovy and Ozempic can lead to weight loss, but because Wegovy is FDA-approved for chronic weight management, it is more likely to be covered by insurance than Ozempic if you don’t have diabetes. Because neither drug has a generic version, they have high retail prices. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of both drugs, offers savings programs that can bring down the cost of these medications.

How to get Wegovy 

As a prescription drug, you will need a doctor’s prescription to get Wegovy. You can schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider to see about getting a prescription for Wegovy.

Another option to get Wegovy is through the Ro Body Program. Ro’s 12-month Body Program helps people lose an average of 15% of their body weight by pairing a GLP-1 medication, like Wegovy, with personal coaching for 365 days. In addition to a prescription for Wegovy, individuals get access to a dedicated health coach who provides support and personalized guidance for weight loss. Individuals can lean on their health coach while following Ro’s evidence-backed weight loss curriculum that offers tips and strategies to turn new lifestyle changes into sustainable habits for a happier, healthier you.

With Ro, our concierge team will work with your insurance provider to find coverage for GLP-1 medication if prescribed. If denied for one medication, a customer service partner will work to help you find alternatives if appropriate. It is possible that an alternate weight loss medication may be covered by your prescription drug plan. For example, Saxenda has also been FDA-approved to help adults with obesity or overweight with a weight-related medical condition. Saxenda is in the same drug class as Wegovy, although it has a different active ingredient (liraglutide). Saxenda also has similar gastrointestinal side effects to Wegovy, such as nausea and vomiting. Unlike Wegovy, however, Saxenda must be injected daily.

How to get a Wegovy coupon 

As a brand name drug, Wegovy can be expensive, so you probably ask yourself how to get Wegovy cheaper. There are several options for reducing the cost you pay for Wegovy. 

One of them is using a Wegovy coupon. Websites like SingleCare and GoodRx offer coupons for various medications, including for Wegovy. Type in your location and the site will give you a list of discounted prices for the pharmacies in your area. You can also call pharmacies in your area to see who offers Wegovy for the lowest price. 

Besides Wegovy coupons for your local pharmacy, there is also a Wegovy coupon from the drug manufacturer Novo Nordisk. It is called Wegovy Savings Card and it is meant for people with health insurance, with or without coverage for Wegovy. If your insurance covers Wegovy, you can pay as little as $0 for a 28-day supply (1 box) of Wegovy and save up to $225 for a 28-day supply of Wegovy. If you have insurance but it does not cover Wegovy, you can save up to $500 for a 28-day supply, $1,000 per 56-day supply, or $1,500 per 84-day supply. 

To be eligible for the Savings Card, you must live in the United States and have commercial insurance and a valid prescription for Wegovy. Individuals with federal or state health coverage, such as Medicaid, Medicare, or VA, are not eligible. Both Savings Cards include up to 12 fills of Wegovy. 

How does Wegovy work? 

Wegovy is a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. The active ingredient in Wegovy is semaglutide. Semaglutide mimics GLP-1, a hormone that regulates your appetite by influencing the reward center in your brain. Wegovy slows digestion and gastric emptying, or the process by which your stomach empties. Because it takes longer for your stomach to empty, you feel fuller longer. This reduces your appetite, leading you to eat less food and experience weight loss.

After 68 weeks, clinical trials show that people taking Wegovy lost an average of nearly 15% of their body weight, which was over five times more than those using a placebo. Participants also reduced their cardiovascular risk and reported improved physical functioning. Other clinical trials have found that Wegovy may be more effective in producing weight loss than other diabetes medications, which can also contribute to weight loss.

---

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 21, 2023

Written by

Amelia Willson

Fact checked by

Yael Cooperman, MD

---

About the medical reviewer

Yael Cooperman, MD, Ro

Yael Cooperman is a physician and works as a Senior Manager, Medical Content & Education at Ro.