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Does Cigna cover Saxenda?

Which Cigna plans cover Saxenda and how to check on your coverage
Vanessa Ling headshot
By | Aug. 5, 2025 Medically reviewed by Chad Shaffer, MD
A health insurance card, medication, and a stethoscope: Does Cigna cover Saxenda?

Key takeaways

  • Saxenda is a prescription drug for weight management that isn’t covered by many Cigna plans, but certain plans may still offer coverage if you’ve already been prescribed the medication. 

  • Certain Cigna plans cover generic Saxenda, liraglutide, for Type 2 diabetes but not for weight management alone. 

  • Saxenda can cost more than $1,800 per monthly prescription, but you can save almost $600 using a SingleCare prescription discount card.

In this article:

Saxenda (liraglutide) is an injectable prescription medication approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for chronic weight management in adults and adolescents 12 and older. It works alongside a lower-calorie diet and increased exercise to help people lose weight. It belongs to a class of medications called glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists, which also includes Wegovy (semaglutide). While Wegovy is a once-weekly injection, Saxenda is a once-daily injection and has been available since 2014. 

Insurance coverage for weight loss medication can be difficult to navigate. Here’s what you need to know about Cigna’s coverage of weight loss drugs like Saxenda and how to navigate the prior authorization process.

Does Cigna cover Saxenda?

Certain drug plans from Cigna may cover Saxenda and other weight loss medications, but it depends on the specific insurance policy and whether someone meets the criteria for coverage. According to a Drug Coverage Policy from March 2025, weight loss medications are not included in many drug benefit plans, including some Cigna employer, individual, and family plans. 

Saxenda is covered only if it’s considered medically necessary, which means the patient must meet certain criteria. To get Saxenda covered by an eligible Cigna plan, an adult patient over 18 years old must:

  • Have tried diet and lifestyle changes to lose weight for at least three months
  • Have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 kg/m2 or more, or have a BMI of 27 kg/m2 or more with a weight-related condition (high blood pressure, Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), cardiovascular disease, knee osteoarthritis, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), or coronary heart disease) 
  • Follow a diet and lifestyle change treatment plan along with the medication

Patients between 12 and 18 years old must meet the following criteria:

  • Must have tried diet and lifestyle changes to lose weight for at least three months
  • Have a BMI more than the 95th percentile for their age and sex 
  • Must follow a diet and lifestyle change treatment plan along with the medication

As of January 2025, Saxenda is no longer on the Cigna Healthcare National Preferred Prescription Drug List for weight management. It’s replaced by Wegovy and Zepbound (tirzepatide), two GLP-1 agonists approved for weight loss. Cigna plans that use this drug list won’t offer coverage for Saxenda. If you’ve already been prescribed Saxenda, your coverage will continue through December 2025. 

If you have a Cigna Medicare plan, it’s unlikely you’ll have coverage for Saxenda. Weight loss drugs, including GLP-1s, aren’t generally covered by Medicare plans, and Saxenda isn’t included in the drug lists for Cigna’s Medicare plans. 

Medicaid is a federal and state medical benefits program that may offer coverage for Saxenda. Cigna doesn’t offer Medicaid plans. Some states cover GLP-1 medications like Saxenda for chronic weight management.

Does Cigna cover generic Saxenda?

Cigna may cover generic liraglutide, the active ingredient in Saxenda, but not for weight management alone. According to the insurance company’s prior authorization policies, it covers Victoza (brand-name liraglutide) and its authorized generics for people 10 and older with Type 2 diabetes.

As of January 2, 2025, Cigna’s National Preferred Prescription Drug List includes generic liraglutide for Type 2 diabetes. This means individuals with Type 2 diabetes may have coverage for generic liraglutide under certain Cigna plans, as long as they get prior authorization.

Supriya Rao, MD, an internal medicine, gastroenterology, obesity medicine, and lifestyle medicine-certified physician at Integrated Gastroenterology Consultants in Lowell, Massachusetts, explains how healthcare providers support patients with the prior authorization process: “We submit documentation showing BMI, comorbidities, previous weight loss attempts, and we do peer-to-peers and appeal denials.” 

How much does Saxenda cost without insurance?

Saxenda is manufactured by Novo Nordisk and carries an average retail price of $1,810 for 5, 3 mL pens containing 18 mg/3 mL solution. This amount of medication would provide a one-month supply if taking a typical maintenance dose of 3 mg daily. However, the actual out-of-pocket costs someone pays for the medication depends on the dose, insurance coverage, and the pharmacy they get it from.  

How much does Saxenda cost with Cigna?

Cigna no longer routinely covers Saxenda in all of its plans as of January 2025, favoring Wegovy and Zepbound instead, but each individual should check their coverage. If you and your provider believe Saxenda is medically necessary, you can request prior authorization or file an appeal. Dr. Rao explains that prescribers may share other ways of getting a prescription without insurance coverage: “We work with our patients to see if manufacturer coupons or savings cards might be available,” she says.

How to check whether your Cigna plan covers Saxenda 

You can check whether your Cigna plan covers Saxenda by:

  • Look up your plan and drug list on Cigna’s website. If you have Cigna coverage through your workplace, you can look up your plans here. 
  • Check your coverage through Novo Nordisk’s website.
  • Log into your myCigna account and look up your plan details or get an estimate for your medications under the Pharmacy section.
  • Contact Cigna Healthcare customer service by calling the number on the back of your insurance card or 800-997-1654, or starting a Live Chat through your myCigna portal, available Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET. 

How to save on Saxenda

If your Cigna plan doesn’t cover Saxenda, there are other ways your prescription can be more affordable. 

One option is using a SingleCare Prescription Discount Card, which can lower the cost of a Saxenda prescription to $1,214 per month, a savings of almost $600 from the average cash price. A SingleCare Prescription Discount Card is free to sign up for, and it can be used at thousands of major and independent pharmacies across the country. 

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