GLP-1 is a class, not a product. Asking what GLP-1 drugs cost is a bit like asking what antibiotics cost. The honest answer starts with a question back: which medicine, written for which use, filled where, and paid how.
Important safety information. Semaglutide is the active ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy, which are FDA-approved prescription medicines from Novo Nordisk A/S. Tirzepatide is the active ingredient in Mounjaro and Zepbound, which are FDA-approved prescription medicines from Eli Lilly and Company. These branded medicines carry a boxed warning about the risk of thyroid C-cell tumors. They should not be used by people with a personal or family history of medullary thyroid carcinoma, or by people with Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia syndrome type 2. Serious risks can include pancreatitis, gallbladder problems, acute kidney injury, severe stomach and intestinal reactions, serious allergic reactions, low blood sugar when taken with certain other diabetes medicines, and diabetic retinopathy complications. Read the official Prescribing Information and Medication Guide for each one: Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro, and Zepbound.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Talk to a licensed clinician about your situation.
Different medicines in the class are approved for different things
This matters for cost more than most people expect. The FDA-approved uses for these products are not identical, and they are set out in each product's own Prescribing Information linked above.
Health plans read those approved uses closely. A plan often covers a medicine for one labeled use and treats the same active ingredient differently under another product name for another labeled use. Two people in the same household can therefore see very different results from the same insurer.
So before comparing figures, make sure you are comparing the same thing: the same product name, the same strength, the same quantity, the same days supply, and the same reason for the prescription.
Four numbers all get called "the cost"
List price. A manufacturer reference figure set before benefits, rebates, and pharmacy charges. Almost nobody pays it.
The plan's share and your share. What the insurer allows and what lands on you after deductible, copay, or coinsurance.
The cash or self-pay charge. What a pharmacy charges when a claim is not run through insurance.
The total cost of care. All of the above, plus the clinical program fee, plus laboratory work, plus any supply and shipping charges.
Most published comparisons quietly use one of the first three and present it as the fourth. That is where budgets break.
The variables that move the number
The product and strength dispensed. The quantity and days supply on the prescription. The pharmacy, including whether it is preferred by the plan. The payment method, meaning insurance, cash, or a discount program. The stage of the plan year, because a deductible resets. And the plan's own current rules, which can change between years.
Manufacturer savings programs add another layer. They have eligibility conditions, expiration dates, and maximum benefits, and people with certain kinds of coverage are commonly excluded. Eli Lilly posts its current terms on its pricing FAQ and savings and coverage page, and Novo Nordisk posts its own on its official product sites. Read the manufacturer's page on the day you decide. These terms change without notice to you.
Questions that get you a real answer
Call the number on the back of the insurance card and ask:
- Is this exact product on the current formulary for the use it was prescribed for?
- What tier is it on, and what prior authorization or step therapy applies?
- Is there a quantity limit per fill?
- Which pharmacies are preferred or in network for it?
- How does my deductible apply right now, and what changes after it is met?
Then call the pharmacy and ask what it would bill for that exact prescription under your plan, and what it would bill if a claim is not run.
Write down every answer with the date and the name of the person who gave it. A benefits estimate is not a decision. Approval and payment are determined by the plan under its own terms.
Compounded preparations are not a cheaper version of the class
They are a different regulatory category, and they need to be understood on their own terms rather than slotted into a price comparison.
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. FDA does not review them for safety, effectiveness, or manufacturing quality.
Compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide are not Zepbound, not Mounjaro, not Ozempic and not Wegovy. A compounded preparation is not a generic version of any approved drug, and it is not interchangeable with one. FDA's overview of human drug compounding explains what the category is.
A compounded preparation may be dispensed only pursuant to a valid prescription issued by a licensed clinician after a clinical evaluation, and only from a state-licensed pharmacy. No figure in this category can be treated as final before an evaluation has happened and a clinician has decided what, if anything, is appropriate.
There is no manufacturer list price, no formulary position, and no manufacturer savings program behind a compounded preparation. Any number attached to one is a single seller's charge.
Where Body Good's fee sits in all of this
Body Good's prices are service fees for the program described at intake. They pay for the clinical evaluation and for the ongoing care and support in that program. They are not the price of medication and are not a quote for any individual. Eligibility is determined by a clinician.
The cost of medication is separate and is not included in a Body Good service fee. Pharmacies bill for what they fill and laboratories bill for their own work.
Body Good provides coverage support, meaning help checking benefits and preparing the paperwork a plan requests. What a plan approves and pays is determined by the plan.
This site is an information and pricing overview only. It takes no payment, collects no health information, and runs no intake form. Intake happens on joinbodygood.com.
Frequently asked questions
Which GLP-1 medicine is the cheapest?
There is no stable ranking to give. The answer depends on your plan's formulary, the labeled use you were prescribed for, the pharmacy, and the payment method, and it can change when a plan year turns over.
Does insurance cover GLP-1 medicines?
That is decided plan by plan, and plans set their own formularies and criteria. The only reliable source is your own plan documents and member services, and any answer you get is an estimate until a claim is processed.
What does Body Good charge?
A Body Good service fee covers the program described at intake, and never the medication itself. Begin Body Good's clinical intake to have a clinician review your situation and confirm what applies to you.
Zepbound and Mounjaro are registered trademarks of Eli Lilly and Company. Ozempic and Wegovy are registered trademarks of Novo Nordisk A/S. Body Good is not affiliated with, endorsed by, sponsored by, or authorized by Eli Lilly and Company or Novo Nordisk A/S. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.