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Key takeaways
Some TRICARE plans (such as TRICARE Prime, TRICARE Select, and TRICARE Reserve Select) cover weight loss medications, but they will require prior authorization.
Some TRICARE plans, such as TRICARE For Life, no longer cover weight loss drugs as of August 2025.
Prior authorization forms are completed by the prescribing healthcare provider and will ask questions about the individual’s eligibility, including information on their BMI and past weight loss attempts.
If you’re not eligible for weight loss medication coverage, you may be able to save money with a SingleCare coupon.
It’s estimated that more than 2 in 5 adults have obesity, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Obesity is more than just carrying around a few extra pounds—it is a complex chronic condition that puts individuals at a higher risk of serious health issues, such as hypertension (high blood pressure), Type 2 diabetes, stroke, and certain mental health conditions.
These concerns, along with a desire to lose weight, are why weight loss medications are becoming more commonplace. While prescription weight loss medications have been on the market for decades, such as phentermine, the newer GLP-1s, including Ozempic (used off-label for weight loss) and Wegovy, have been generally shown to be more effective than previous treatments.
Each health insurance company has different guidelines on weight loss medication coverage, and these benefits vary between the company’s various health plans. For those on Tricare, the healthcare program for the uniformed services, weight loss medications may be covered in certain situations. Approval of these drugs from the Defense Health Agency hinges on a few factors, which you can learn more about below.
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Does Tricare cover weight loss medication?
There are various Tricare health plans, including those for active duty members, National Guard and Reserve service members, retirees, and eligible family members of these groups. According to an August 2025 update, Tricare states that they do not generally cover weight loss medication. While this may seem like bad news, this does not mean a blanket “no” for weight loss drugs.
Tricare does not cover weight loss drugs at all for the following individuals:
- TRICARE For Life beneficiaries
- People with direct care coverage (military hospitals and clinics)
- Certain other groups (details are not specified)
Tricare states that as of August 31, 2025, these groups will be required to pay 100% of the cost of weight loss medicine—even if a prior authorization had been previously approved.
Tricare MAY cover weight loss drugs such as Wegovy, Saxenda, or Zepbound for weight management for the following groups, as long as you use a TRICARE network provider and the drug is a medical necessity (i.e., you meet prior authorization requirements):
- TRICARE Prime and Prime Remote
- Uniformed Services Family Health Plan
- TRICARE Select
- TRICARE Young Adult
- TRICARE Reserve Select
- TRICARE Retired Reserve
- Continued Health Care Benefit Program
Criteria for weight loss medication coverage
Since TRICARE has many different plans, coverage requirements (as well as your copay or out-of-pocket costs) may vary among plans. Your healthcare professional can work with you to navigate your insurance policy and can work on the prior authorization (PA) process. When a PA is required, the healthcare provider will need to submit information to the plan as to why a medicine is medically necessary for you. Typically, insurance plans will want to ensure that you are using the drug for an FDA-approved use, such as Zepbound for moderate to severe sleep apnea in adults with obesity. You can contact your specific plan for more information on weight loss medication coverage.
How to get approved for weight loss medication
With TRICARE’s August 2025 update, all prescription weight loss drugs will require a PA—but not all TRICARE plans cover weight loss drugs (see section above). If your plan pays for weight loss drugs with an approved PA, your healthcare provider will need to submit information to the plan explaining why the drug is medically necessary for you. They will need to submit supporting information, such as weight, body mass index (BMI), and notes from your visit.
If your healthcare provider prescribes a GLP-1 for weight loss, they must prescribe the FDA-approved version for weight loss. “The trick to approval is making sure the prescription is sent for the approved weight loss version of the medication,” said Dr. Brown, an obesity medicine specialist with MyObesityTeam. “For example, Tricare won’t pay for Ozempic if it’s prescribed for obesity, but it will pay for Wegovy.”
Ozempic and Wegovy are both injectable medications that contain semaglutide. Ozempic has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for managing Type 2 diabetes, and Wegovy has been FDA-approved for weight loss. That means Ozempic would not typically be covered for weight loss under TRICARE insurance, but Wegovy may be covered—if your plan includes weight loss medications and the PA is approved.
How much does weight loss medication cost without insurance?
If your TRICARE plan does not cover the cost of your weight loss medicine, you can pay out of pocket without insurance. It may also be more affordable by using a SingleCare coupon. Here are some of the costs you can expect for the most popular weight loss drugs.
- Zepbound (tirzepatide) has an average retail price of $1,532 per 4, 5mg/0.5ml 0.5ml pens, but you can pay just $950 with a Zepbound coupon from SingleCare—a savings of almost $600 per month.
- Wegovy (semaglutide) has an average retail price of $1,850 per 4, 0.75ml prefilled 2.4mg/0.75ml pens, but you can pay just $1,225 with a SingleCare savings card, saving you $625 each month.
- Saxenda (liraglutide) has an average retail cost of $1,819 for 5, 18mg/3ml (6mg/ml) 3ml pens, but if you fill your Rx with generic liraglutide and use a free SingleCare coupon, you could pay as low as $469, saving you $1,350 per month.
How to check whether your Tricare plan covers weight loss medication
There is a Tricare formulary search tool that provides the usual cost of prescription medications. The formulary is a list of all the medications covered by an insurance plan, along with their corresponding pricing tiers. By filling out the medication form and inputting your sex and age, you’ll get details about the price and requirements for each prescription drug.
How to save on weight loss medication
If insurance won’t cover weight loss medications, you can save on your out-of-pocket costs by using a SingleCare coupon. Use SingleCare’s search bar to find the specific drug and see the discounted costs available at your nearby pharmacies. To receive the savings, simply click the button to get your free coupon.
There are other ways to save on weight loss medications, which you can learn about here.
- Adult obesity facts, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2024)
- Top weight loss medications, Obesity Medicine Association (2025)
- Does TRICARE cover Wegovy, Ozempic, and Mounjaro? TRICARE (2025)
- Covered services: Weight loss products, TRICARE (2025)