What do GLP-1s cost without insurance in 2026? $149 to $499 a month direct from the maker, not the $1,000+ list price

Informational only, not medical advice. Prices and program rules change often; every figure below shows the date we checked it. Confirm with the seller before you buy.

List price versus what you actually pay

A drug’s list price (wholesale acquisition cost) is what the maker charges wholesalers before discounts. It is what an uninsured person would be billed at a regular pharmacy counter without a savings offer. Novo Nordisk lists Wegovy (pen, HD pen and pill) at $1,349.02 a package and Ozempic (pen or pill, any strength) at $1,027.51.[1][3] Lilly lists Mounjaro at $1,112.16 per four-pen fill and Zepbound at $499 to $1,086.37 per fill, depending on product.[10][11] Novo has announced it will cut the list price of Wegovy, Ozempic and Rybelsus to $675 a month on January 1, 2027, and says the cut does not change its self-pay prices.[7]

The prices that matter if you have no coverage are the makers’ own self-pay programs, below.

Self-pay prices by drug (rechecked October 30, 2026)

Two catches are worth knowing. The Wegovy and Ozempic $199 intro covers only the first two months for new patients. And Lilly’s $449 Zepbound price for vials and KwikPens at 7.5 mg and up (and Foundayo’s $299 top-dose price) only holds if each refill lands within 45 days of the last one, according to Lilly’s offer terms; miss the window and a 10 mg Zepbound month costs $699 (and a top-dose Foundayo month $349).[1][4][5][13] Self-pay purchases also don’t count toward an insurance deductible.[6]

If you have commercial insurance

When your plan covers the drug, the makers’ savings cards can bring a fill down to as little as $25. Novo caps its Wegovy and Ozempic card at $100 of savings a month, so a high copay won’t shrink to $25.[1][2] Lilly offers the same “as low as $25” card for Zepbound pens, Mounjaro and Foundayo, with monthly and annual limits.[5][6][11] People on Medicare, Medicaid or other government coverage can’t use these cards.

If your employer is dropping GLP-1 coverage in 2027

Update, October 30, 2026. Fewer employers say they cover GLP-1s for weight loss. In WTW’s 2026 Best Practices in Healthcare Survey, released October 28, the share of surveyed employers covering GLP-1s for weight loss fell from 57% to 53%, the first decline in three years. Of those still covering them, 30% said they are considering eliminating coverage, and 91% of employers that have dropped or are weighing dropping coverage cited cost.[14] The survey reflects 471 U.S. employers with at least 100 employees, surveyed June 22 to August 7, 2026, so “considering” is a stated plan, not a final 2027 decision; your own plan documents are what count.[14]

If you’re picking a plan during open enrollment, these are the checks we’d make (our suggestions, not insurance or medical advice):

• Check the 2027 drug list for your exact drug and use. WTW’s figures are about coverage for weight loss. Look up your drug by name in the plan’s 2027 formulary, and if it isn’t clear whether weight-loss use is covered or needs prior authorization, call the number on your insurance card and ask about that drug and dose for 2027.
• Know the savings-card catch. The “as low as $25” cards need commercial coverage of the drug.[1][5][6][11] If your plan stops covering it, Lilly’s terms list Mounjaro at as low as $499 for commercial plans without Mounjaro coverage.[6]
• Price out self-pay before January. The makers’ direct prices in the table above don’t depend on insurance, though they don’t count toward your deductible, and some intro and reduced prices end December 31, 2026.[1][2][5][6]
• Plan any switch or stop with your prescriber. Changing drugs or stopping has its own effects; see what happens when you stop Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound.

If you have Medicare

Part D generally doesn’t pay for weight-loss drugs, but a temporary CMS program called the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge has, since July 1, 2026, let eligible Part D enrollees get Wegovy (pen or pill), Zepbound KwikPen or Foundayo for weight management at $50 a month through December 31, 2027. Your prescriber has to request prior authorization, and you need to meet BMI and health criteria: per Medicare.gov, a BMI of 35 or higher, or 30 or higher with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction, uncontrolled high blood pressure or stage 3a+ kidney disease, or 27 or higher with prediabetes, a prior heart attack or stroke, or symptomatic peripheral artery disease. People who have type 2 diabetes, moderate-to-severe sleep apnea or fatty liver disease, or who already get a GLP-1 through Part D, are excluded. The $50 doesn’t count toward your Part D deductible or out-of-pocket limit, and Extra Help can’t lower it.[8] GLP-1s prescribed for type 2 diabetes go through your normal Part D plan.

Free drug through patient assistance

Novo Nordisk’s Patient Assistance Program can supply Ozempic at no cost to people with Medicare or no insurance whose household income is at or below 200% of the federal poverty level for Ozempic (400% for its other covered drugs). If you have private insurance you’re not eligible. Wegovy is not on the program’s current product list.[9]

What about compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide?

Compounded versions are not FDA-approved, so FDA hasn’t reviewed them for safety, effectiveness or quality. FDA says they should be used only when an approved drug can’t meet your medical need, and has warned about dosing errors and counterfeit or unregulated sellers.[12] We’ve removed the compounded price ranges we used to list: telehealth prices change constantly and we couldn’t tie them to a reliable source. With brand pills now at $149 a month direct, the price gap that drove people to compounders is much smaller than it was.

Whichever route you take, dose changes, missed refills and price tiers are easier to manage when you log every shot. Jabbit keeps that log.