GLP-1 costs are bumming me out

Hong Kong Yanpep International
Oh, still no insurance coverage on that? Rough. Sorry, I must've mixed you up with someone else, thought you mentioned Wegovy or Zepbound in another post.

Plenty of plans do cover it for diabetes though, from what I've seen.
 
A couple of the cheapest prescription options available include two well known generic diabetes medications. Other ways exist to access more affordable versions of similar compounds, though details can't be shared under community guidelines here.
 
Try ordering directly through the manufacturer, comes out significantly cheaper. If diabetes isn't the diagnosis, the alternate branded version might be worth trying too, runs slightly less expensive.
 
For what it's worth tirzepatide (Zepbound, Mounjaro) is generally known for milder side effects overall, sounds like you already suspected that given you're weighing a switch. I made the jump myself last week since I deal with CFS and Oz was completely draining my energy. Hoping switching to Zep gives me a bit of life back. Hear you on cost too though. Went from paying a steep amount for Oz to a much smaller sum once a cheaper alternative showed up. Grabbed one batch at that lower price and committed to switching, so now I'm back up to the higher rate. Public health coverage is wonderful, right up until officials decide coverage isn't warranted since diabetes hasn't shown up yet, even though skipping the medication practically guarantees it eventually will, so the claim gets denied. Honestly, factoring in every reason to avoid diabetes, the savings alone almost make letting my pancreas fail tempting (kidding, obviously)

Really sucks that Ozempic isn't working out for you though. Don't have a magic fix to offer, but it genuinely doesn't suit everyone. Generally folks who choose to push through tend to have much milder issues than what you're describing. That said, if you can tolerate it, it's wor
 
Faced the identical choice. Insurance wouldn't cover it, so I had to weigh going with Mounjaro/Zepbound against a far cheaper semaglutide option. After hearing from plenty of others about their experience across different GLP-1s, I landed on Tirzepatide being worth the added expense. Costs more but delivers more too. Three months in, every number's improved, moved from right at the diabetic threshold into normal range. Not even pre-diabetic anymore, which feels great. Also 18 pounds lighter so far. I outweigh you by quite a bit, so the weight side of things mattered a lot in my decision too. The side effect picture, or lack of one, was another factor in going with tirzepatide. Plenty of people I spoke with dealt with reactions, mild to severe, on Wegovy or Ozempic. Nobody I talked to reported any issues on Mounjaro/Zepbound. Just anecdotal of course, but still useful going in. Personally I haven't noticed any real downsides at all. Age played into it too - the evidence points toward staying on tirzepatide indefinitely. Figure I can manage
 
If 7.5 is what your body needs, that's what it needs. Mounjaro runs pricier than every other GLP1 medication out there. Just something you factor in going in. Trust me, you're actually getting a deal, I pay EUR600 (roughly $680) for my 7.5mg.

If that's genuinely out of reach, worth trying a cheaper GLP1 alternative like Ozempic instead. But sitting on a lower amount with barely any effect just wastes money.

Another option, order the 15mg strength and only use half each time, stretches to two months' worth instead of one. Gets you eight shots out of a single pen.
 
Honestly the price pushed me over to wegovy, so we'll see. Fewer side effects would be nice, though I did find mounjaro at low doses very effective.
 
Your doctor has this mixed up. Mounjaro and Ozempic are labeled for T2D, with Wegovy plus Zepbound for weight loss, and the criteria are the same. That only matters when insurance is paying. Paying cash, he could prescribe any of them. Zepbound/Mounjaro work best, Wegovy/Ozempic cost less. The manufacturer's direct program has Zepbound/Mounjaro at $299 for starter doses and up to $450 for high doses, and in the US compounding can make it cheaper still. Tirzepatide is the actual drug inside both Zepbound and Mounjaro.
 
Welcome to the situation most of us have hit, an unfortunate reality currently. Insurers and employers can lean on the Zepbound/Mounjaro split to cover it just for diabetes rather than weight-loss use. Before a doctor can write a Mounjaro script they must attest to a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, which would be fraud here, so unfortunately no doctor can prescribe Mounjaro for you. I was in that spot too, with an A1c of 6.2, and half-seriously thought about living on ice cream for six months to hit the diabetes threshold and qualify. In the end I bit the bullet. Zep costs me out of pocket, still worth every penny if I'm honest. I believe the starting dose runs $249/month, and prices might drop once newer meds arrive.
 
Im in the US and was using Mounjaro for prediabetes until insurance dropped it (now they only cover an actual diabetes diagnosis), so i moved to Zepbound self-pay, around $399 a month through the manufacturers direct program for the 5mg dose. Pricing varies a bit by dose, but it costs far less than Mounjaro at list price though.
 
I switched to Wegovy in January after reaching 15mg of Mj, because of maintenance cost. Holding steady took 10mg minimum on Mj, and I'd been on it since August 2024. It's done the job, 1.7mg is my ideal maintenance dose, and neither drug caused me any trouble. Just try it. I'm saving about 100 GBP monthly since Mounjaro no longer fits my budget.
 
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