Live Updates: Tracking Insurance Coverage for GIP and GLP-1 Agonists Like Zepbound and Wegovy

Demand for the GIP and GLP-1 agonists that can cause weight loss has continued to climb in the new year. However, insurance coverage has yet to catch up.

The GoodRx Research team is tracking commercial insurance coverage for popular GIP and GLP-1 agonists that have weight-loss benefits, including:

• Tirzepatide (Zepbound for weight loss, Mounjaro for Type 2 diabetes)

• Semaglutide (Wegovy for weight loss, Ozempic for Type 2 diabetes)

• Liraglutide (Saxenda for weight loss, Victoza for Type 2 diabetes)

We’ll regularly update the chart below to track any potential changes in access to these in-demand medications.

How does insurance coverage affect access?

Prescription drug coverage determines how much people pay out of pocket for their medications. We grouped commercial insurance plans into three categories of coverage:

• Unrestricted coverage: People in health plans with unrestricted coverage can use their insurance right away to help pay for their prescription. Out-of-pocket costs are usually a portion of the total cost. This is the most accessible form of insurance coverage.

• Restricted coverage: People in health plans with restricted coverage need to meet additional requirements in order to use their insurance to help pay for their prescription. These extra steps can include getting approval or “prior authorization” from their insurance, trying a different medication first (also called “step therapy”), or both. While people with restricted coverage can access their medication at a more affordable price, they may face delays and other administrative burdens along the way. To avoid dealing with these restrictions, some may forgo using insurance and pay full price, or abandon their prescription altogether.

• No coverage: People in health plans with no coverage of their medication must cover the full cost of their prescription. This means that people who want to fill their weight-loss prescription may face high out-of-pocket costs, which can exceed $1,300 every month — even if they have health insurance.

Keep in mind that insurance coverage doesn’t account for deductibles, which have become increasingly common. Some people have a separate deductible that applies only to prescription medications. This means they will pay full price on medications until they meet their pharmacy deductible. On top of that, many Americans are caught in a “Big Pinch” as insurance plans cut back on coverage and place more restrictions on the medications that are covered.

Changing insurance coverage

Despite the growing list of medical benefits for GIP and GLP-1 agonists, including weight loss, commercial insurance coverage has yet to catch up to demand.

So far in 2025, Zepbound has already seen notable shifts in commercial insurance coverage. Since 2024:

• The share of people with unrestricted coverage rose from 9% to 13%, improving access to Zepbound for at least 7.3 million people.

• However, this was offset by an even larger drop in restricted coverage, which fell from 73% to 66%, impacting at least 12.3 million people.

• As a result, the number of people with no coverage actually increased by 14%, leaving at least 4.9 million more people with no insurance coverage for Zepbound.

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Altogether, these changes in coverage make Zepbound less accessible to the general population.

Meanwhile, access to Wegovy, another medication prescribed specifically for weight loss, has improved slightly compared to last year. Since 2024:

• The number of people with unrestricted coverage rose from 14.2% to 14.6%, improving access to Wegovy for at least 600,000 people.

• The number of people with restricted coverage also rose from 67% to 71%, impacting access to Wegovy for at least 6.3 million people.

• As a result, over 7 million people gained some form of commercial insurance coverage for Wegovy in 2025.

In 2025, overall coverage has also shifted for Ozempic and Mounjaro, GIP and GLP-1 agonists used to treat Type 2 diabetes. Over half a million people gained coverage for Mounjaro. However, overall coverage for Ozempic declined by 22%. That leaves another 1.1 million people with no coverage for the most filled GLP-1 agonist.

With the introduction of generic liraglutide, commercial insurance coverage has also worsened for brand-name Victoza and Saxenda in 2025. The number of people without insurance coverage has increased by 92% and 47%, respectively.

In 2025, at least 9.5 million people gained coverage for generic liraglutide. However, at least 16 million people lost coverage for Victoza, and over 31 million people lost coverage for Saxenda. As a result, millions of people still lack insurance coverage for liraglutide. This is particularly true for Saxenda, which is the only brand of liraglutide prescribed specifically for weight loss.

Altogether, over 10% of people with commercial insurance — reflecting over 19 million people — lack coverage for any of the GIP and GLP-1 agonists prescribed for weight loss in 2025. That means if they are prescribed Wegovy, Zepbound, or Saxenda, their insurance will not cover it.

Rising restrictions

Increased restrictions for many GIP and GLP-1 agonists has further limited access to these medications.

Restrictions continue to limit the vast majority of commercial insurance coverage for GIP and GLP-1 agonists prescribed specifically for weight loss. This means there are restrictions on insurance coverage for Wegovy, Zepbound, and Saxenda for over 82% of people. Even when GIP and GLP-1 agonists are prescribed for Type 2 diabetes, additional restrictions are usually placed on insurance coverage — over 75% of the time for Mounjaro and over 83% of the time for Ozempic.

Many of the medications that lost coverage in 2025 have also seen more restrictions. Compared to 2024:

• 15% more people face restrictions on their insurance coverage for Ozempic.

• 22% more people face restrictions on their insurance coverage for Victoza.

While generic liraglutide has fewer insurance restrictions compared to brand-name medications, coverage has also become increasingly restrictive in 2025. Since 2024:

• 32% more people face restrictions on their insurance coverage for generic liraglutide.

As a result, more people need to jump through extra hoops to access these medications, despite having insurance.

Savings tips

People without insurance coverage can still save on the full retail price through prescription discount programs like GoodRx.

GoodRx can save people an average of $235 per month on semaglutide, tirzepatide, or liraglutide. These savings add up to an average of $3,000 annually.

Methodology

We sourced prescription insurance coverage from Managed Markets Insight and Technology, LLC™, a trademark of MMIT. Data reflect share of commercial and health exchange covered lives for the most common form and dosage of each medication.

Why trust our experts?

Written by:

Amanda Nguyen, PhD

Dr. Nguyen is a health economist with a passion for creating actionable knowledge out of data. An expert in economic modeling and econometrics, she works to investigate and demystify pressing issues in healthcare.

Edited by:

Tori Marsh, MPH

Tori Marsh is GoodRx’s resident expert on prescription drug pricing, prescribing trends, and drug savings. She oversees the GoodRx drug database, ensuring that all drug information is accurate and up to date.

Analysis by:

Lauren Chase

Lauren Chase manages the GoodRx drug database, ensuring that all data is accurate and up to date. During her time at GoodRx, she's improved the processes and quality of drug database management.

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