Zepbound Is Set to Be Even More Affordable, but When Will the Price Drop?

A recent announcement from the Trump administration is set to lower the price of weight loss and Type 2 diabetes drugs, including Zepbound. The news that the prices for these drugs would be decreasing has left many wondering what the details of the deal are and when the price will start to decrease.

The administration has also insisted that, while this price decrease might help more people lose weight, that's not the ultimate goal. Here's what we know about when the prices will decrease and who will be eligible.

According to NPR, the Trump administration announced deals with Novo Nordisk, which makes Ozempic and Wegovy, and Eli Lilly, which makes Mounjaro and Zepbound, and are only for people who rely on Medicare for health insurance. If you use Medicare, these drugs will be available for just a $50 copay every month. The deal is part of a broader Trump administration initiative designed to ower the price of many drugs.

The companies have pledged to offer the drugs to Medicare and Medicaid programs for $245 month with a $50 copay beginning April. State Medicaid programs will have to opt in separately.

The programs already cover the drugs as a treatment for Type 2 diabetes, but under this new policy, it will also be covered for some patients who are overweight or obese. In order for the drug to be covered under Medicare or Medicaid, though, you have to meet certain requirements.

Zepbound and the other drugs will only be covered if you have:

• a body mass index over 27 and established prediabetes or cardiovascular disease;
• a body mass index over 30 and uncontrolled hypertension, kidney disease or heart failure; or
• a body mass index over 35.

"This is not about losing weight," a senior administration official said. "It is about making America healthier. This is about preventing a stroke. This is about preventing heart attacks and disease."

So, while these drugs will now be cheaper for some Americans, you have to meet a fairly narrow set of criteria in order to receive them. If you aren't using Medicare or Medicaid, and if you don't meet the health requirements, these drugs will not be covered for you. Even so, it will change the cost of these drugs for some Americans who might be interested in using them.

"We believe these deals, within two years … based on our health improvements, we will be budget neutral," said Dr. Mehmet Oz, who now leads the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

The deals also include a promise to offer the starting doses of their upcoming obesity bills, if they receive FDA approval, for $149 a month for Medicaid and Medicare users and for those who use Trumprx.

If you would like to buy these drugs without insurance, they will be available for $350/month through TrumpRx, which is less than the $500 they cost when you buy them directly from the companies providing them.