Medically Reviewed
Key Takeaways
- Semaglutide prices vary widely in 2025, with Ozempic and Rybelsus around $1,000 per month and Wegovy up to $1,400 without insurance.
- Novo Nordisk savings cards can reduce the cost of Ozempic or Wegovy to as low as $25 a month for eligible insured patients.
- Cash-pay discounts from NovoCare, GoodRx, LifeMD, and Costco can lower out-of-pocket costs to roughly $499 per month.
- Medicare Part D now covers semaglutide for patients with a BMI over 27 and cardiovascular disease, expanding access nationwide.
- Compounded semaglutide is less expensive but not FDA-approved, which poses safety and quality risks if purchased through non-reputable brands.
For some, and contrary to its recent proliferation, the cost of semaglutide is flat-out prohibitive. But here’s the good news: There are ways to reduce the cost of Ozempic or Wegovy, even if you don’t have health insurance.
Whether you’re trying to manage your type-2 diabetes or use semaglutide for weight loss, you deserve to have access at a reasonable price. The first step is understanding all your options, so let’s dive into the specifics of semaglutide’s cost in 2025 (and beyond).
Semaglutide Cost With Insurance in 2025
Before you do anything: It’s essential that you verify any financial information regarding a medication you’re currently taking, or intend to take, with your healthcare provider.
With that said, we must also acknowledge that semaglutide, like all medications, varies in price. There are multiple factors at play that influence its price tag—we’ll get there, but don’t expect a static cost in all cases..
With insurance, you can get semaglutide for weight loss or diabetes for $25 per month or less, though the exact value will vary based on your provider. Not all insurers will provide full coverage if you’re taking semaglutide for weight loss, for instance.
The Role of Prior Authorization
If you’re pursuing semaglutide—specifically, Ozempic or Rybelsus—for an off-label purpose, it pays to seek prior authorization from your doctor.
Prior authorization refers to a process in which your healthcare provider requests approval from your insurer to prescribe you a medication. Without prior authorization, your health insurance may not elect to cover the cost, especially in cases where your doctor is prescribing you something for a purpose outside its traditional use.
Your doctor should be able to provide more specifics about the most cost-effective path for you to take.
Medicare and Medicaid Coverage
As of Oct. 2025, those on Medicare Part D may be eligible for semaglutide coverage if you meet specific criteria, according to the AJMC. Criteria include a BMI greater than 27 and needing assistance with managing symptoms of cardiovascular disease.
Additionally, you will typically be eligible for coverage if you’re taking Ozempic to control type-2 diabetes symptoms.
Cash Price for Semaglutide (Without Insurance)
Semaglutide is currently available under three brand names: Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus.
Why the distinction: The manufacturer, Novo Nordisk, pursued separate FDA approvals for semaglutide to cater to different needs. Ozempic and Rybelsus are approved primarily for the management of type-2 diabetes, while Wegovy is approved mainly for weight management.
If you’re insured, pursuing one of these medications for its approved use generally reduces cost. Some insurers won’t cover a medication for off-label use whatsoever.
But if you’re not insured, you need to know exactly how much you’ll have to open your wallet to get a hold of semaglutide.
Ozempic Cost Without Insurance
The uninsured list price for a month’s supply of Ozempic, according to the manufacturer, is $997.58 in 2025. Pricing can fluctuate by dosage and pharmacy of choice as well.
Get it for less: Novo Nordisk provides a steep cash-pay discount in the United States for buyers who utilize platforms like GoodRx, LifeMD, and even Costco. This program reduces the uninsured monthly cost of Ozempic to $499.
Wegovy Cost Without Insurance
The manufacturer’s list price for Wegovy if you’re uninsured falls approximately around the $1,400 per month mark. If provided by certain pharmacies or at different dosages, the cost can go up to as much as $1,600.
Get it for less: The same cash-pay program, called NovoCare, that reduces the cost of Ozempic is also available to those seeking Wegovy, which can lower it to $499 per month.
Rybelsus Cost Without Insurance
The official list price for Rybelsus is $997.58 per month. In some cases, the out-of-pocket price for Rybelsus can range from $1,100 to $1,240 per month—as with the other two semaglutide medications, the exact cost can change based on your dosage and pharmacy of choice.
Unfortunately, Rybelsus doesn’t yet have as many savings options or promotions as Ozempic or Wegovy. That said, some platforms, like SingleCare, can provide coupons which will modestly reduce the price depending on which pharmacy you go to.
The Impact of Pharmacy Choice
At a glance, it might seem strange that the price of a medication can vary based on the pharmacy you get it from. After all, semaglutide is semaglutide. Here’s why:
- Pharmacies set their own individual mark-ups to account for operational costs and other internal expenses.
- Some pharmacies opt to honor price agreements established within networks.
- If you have a discount card, you’ll often be able to negotiate with individual pharmacies over the exact amount of your discount.
- Pharmacies will often adjust cost to account for fluctuations in drug supply. For a popular medicine like semaglutide, supply variability can be quite high.
National pharmacies, like CVS or Walgreens, tend to have higher prices, but a more consistent supply of semaglutide due to the logistical resources at their disposal. Conversely, your local mom-and-pop pharmacy may not always have semaglutide available, but their pricing options tend to be more flexible.
Clinically Guided GLP-1 Weight Loss, Made Affordable
Get affordable compounded semaglutide or tirzepatide from trusted U.S. pharmacies, prescribed under medical supervision. Take a quick assessment to find the right treatment for your goals.
How to Save on Semaglutide in 2025
Whether you’re uninsured or have coverage, you’re wise to pursue any cost-cutting avenues at your disposal while starting your journey with semaglutide. Let’s run through a few of your options.
Manufacturer Savings Cards
All three semaglutide medications are made by Novo Nordisk. Nordisk provides savings cards which can, in some cases, significantly reduce the cost of Ozempic and Wegovy—if you’re insured—to as low as $25.
Patient Assistance Programs (PAPs)
PAPs are patient-friendly programs organized either by the manufacturer or a third party with the intent of providing financial support to eligible seekers. To be eligible for a PAP, you typically must have a low income or lack health insurance, and be a permanent resident of the United States or Puerto Rico.
You can find more information about the manufacturer Novo Nordisk’s PAP here.
Third-Party Discounts
Certain pharmaceutical platforms can also provide discounts on semaglutide. We touched on SingleCare regarding Rybelsus above, but others like GoodRx, RxSaver, or Blink Health are worth investigating as well.
Mind that these savings will not usually cover a significant portion of your out-of-pocket costs, but they’re worth pursuing regardless.
A Note on Compounded Semaglutide
You may have heard of compounded—that is, created by a pharmacy or manufacturer other than Novo Nordisk—semaglutide as a cheaper option than the “official” stuff. There’s a cost-benefit analysis to conduct when it comes to compounded semaglutide.
Compound pharmacies can be good options for patients and doctors alike when looking for affordable sources of medications that meet the patients needs. The key importance is to work with compound pharmacies that have a trusted reputation to help ensure you are getting a safe and quality medication.
–
Dr. Daniel McGee, Board-certified Family Medicine Physician
Cost vs. Risk
Here’s the big issue: Compounded semaglutide is like a custom version of the drug. Crucially and by definition, it hasn’t been approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA), which has said that it “does not review compounded drugs for safety, effectiveness or quality before they are marketed.”
As such, the cheaper price tag comes with a higher risk of:
- Improper storage and potential contamination
- Poor quality practices in shipping & handling
- Fraudulent knockoffs or dilution
Compound pharmacies can be good options for patients and doctors alike looking for affordable sources of medicine to meet a patient's needs,” says Dr. Daniel McGee D.O. “The key importance is to work with a compound pharmacy that has a trusted reputation to ensure you are getting a safe and quality product.”
Final Tips for Patients
Semaglutide is undeniably pricey in certain cases—even if you’ve got insurance. On the upside, as the drug becomes more widespread and is found applicable to more conditions, new cost-saving avenues tend to open up.
Your best bet is to start a dialogue with your doctor; they’ll have the most informed perspective on both your personal health needs and financial situation.
For those exploring more affordable ways to begin or continue GLP-1 therapy, at SkinnyRx, we provide medically guided access to compounded semaglutide and tirzepatide through licensed U.S. pharmacies. You can take a brief quiz to learn whether this option aligns with your health and weight loss goals.
Frequently Asked Questions
By Jake Dickson, NASM-CPT, USAW-L2
Contributing Author
Jake holds a B.S. in Exercise Science from UNC Wilmington and began his career as a personal trainer and weightlifting coach. In recent years, he’s moved behind the page as a writer and editor, contributing hundreds of articles and being featured as a subject matter expert. Today, Jake’s goal remains the same: to empower people to change their lives by bringing heady scientific topics down to ground level.
