The cheapest alternative to Ozempic is metformin and Mounjaro.
Metformin is a widely available generic drug that can cost as little as $10.00 to $40.00 per month without insurance.
Even Semaglutide and older weight loss pills like orlistat or phentermine are cheaper alternatives to Ozempic.
Ozempic costs on average of $1,000.00 per month out of pocket.
However you can also get significant savings on Ozempic even when paid for out of pocket through use of the Ozempic Savings Card, that offers introductory rates as low as $199.00 per month for new, uninsured patients and $349.00 per month for existing patients, for certain doses.
Some pharmacy discounts like GoodRx can also bring the cost of Ozempic down, even for people who are paying for Ozempic out of pocket.
The health insurance that will pay for Ozempic are most major private health insurance plans, along with Medicare Part D and many Medicaid programs, when the Ozempic is prescribed for treating Type diabetes and other related heart and kidney issues.
Medicare may also cover Wegovy for specific heart and liver conditions, but most health insurance will not cover Ozempic for weight loss unless the weight loss is medically required and you can provide documentation and prove that the weight loss is needed medically.
But even then, it can be difficult to get health insurance to cover the cost of Ozempic.
Health insurance will pay for Ozempic when it's prescribed for use in Type 2 diabetes as well as related heart issues and kidney issues.
However health insurance does not cover Ozempic for prediabetes or weight loss.
Although in rare cases you might find a health insurance that will cover Ozempic for weight loss, especially if the weight loss is needed medically.
Most commercial health insurance plans do cover Ozempic when the Ozempic has been prescribed by a doctor for treatment of Type 2 diabetes or to reduce risks of kidney problems or cardiovascular issues, especially in diabetic people.
For health insurance to cover Ozempic, there must be prior authorization as well as a review of your medical history and possibly the documentation of high A1c levels or previous treatment failures like from use of metformin.
Ozempic is often not covered by health insurance for it's off label use of weight loss unless the Ozempic is prescribed for medically necessary weight loss, and even then it can be hard to get health insurance to cover the cost of Ozempic.
Most health insurance often denies coverage for Ozempic for weight loss as Ozempic is not FDA approved for weight loss.
However Wegovy is an approved version of Ozempic for weight loss and is much more likely to be covered by health insurance.
Some health insurance plans may cover the cost of Ozempic for weight loss, if you have extensive documentation of obesity, failed weight loss attempts and can prove medical necessity, although it's still a struggle to get health insurance to cover Ozempic for weight loss.
Ozempic is also often a high tier drug, which leads to higher copays and even if coverage is available for Ozempic you may still have to pay deductibles or even coinsurance costs which can range from $0.00 to $1,000.00.