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Drug Info

Does United Healthcare cover Saxenda?

Whether coverage is likely and average out-of-pocket costs
Karen Berger medical writer and reviewer headshot
By | Jul. 2, 2025
A health insurance card, stethoscope, and medication: Does United Healthcare cover Saxenda?

Key takeaways

  • Saxenda is a GLP-1 drug used for weight loss. Coverage with United Healthcare depends on your specific plan. Some plans include a weight loss medication benefit, while others may not.

  • If your plan covers weight loss medications, a prior authorization (PA) is typically required for both initial and continued coverage.

  • To check your insurance coverage, you can use the coverage tool on the Saxenda website, contact your plan directly, or have your healthcare provider send the prescription to your pharmacy and follow up with the pharmacy on the next steps.

In this article:

Saxenda is an injectable brand-name prescription medication that is approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for chronic weight management. It can be used in adults with obesity or who are overweight and have at least one weight-related health condition, such as hypertension (high blood pressure) or high cholesterol. Saxenda can also be used in pediatric patients 12 years or older with obesity and a starting body weight of more than 132 pounds. Coverage for weight loss medications varies by plan, though, and some insurance plans require prior authorization. 

Does United Healthcare cover Saxenda?

It’s hard to say if your plan will cover Saxenda, as coverage varies by plan. According to United Healthcare (UHC), employers may opt to cover weight loss medication in their health insurance plans if they are able to comply with UHC’s prior authorization requirements. This means that even if your plan provides coverage for this medicine, your healthcare provider will likely need to submit a prior authorization (PA)—documentation explaining why you need this medication. At that point, your plan will determine whether it will cover the drug. 

For United Healthcare to initially approve Saxenda, they will confirm the following:

  • The medicine is being used for appetite suppression or weight loss.
  • The patient is at least 12 years old.
  • The patient will be making lifestyle changes, such as a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.
  • The patient’s body mass index (BMI) meets the criteria for obesity. For adults, this is a BMI of 30 or more or of 27 or more with at least one weight-related medical condition, such as Type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, high cholesterol, or high blood pressure. Pediatric patients need to have a BMI in the 95th percentile for their age and gender.

If the plan approves Saxenda, the initial authorization is typically in place for four months. 

For the plan to continue to authorize the medicine after this time, they will typically require:

  • A weight loss of at least 4% (for example, an 8 lb. weight loss if your starting weight is 200 lbs.)
  • A continuation of lifestyle modifications

This continued authorization is typically put in place for 12 months. Additionally, supply limits may apply. For example, some plans may cover a three-month supply, while others may approve a one-month supply with each prescription fill.

How to get approved for Saxenda

Once you and your healthcare provider decide that you will start treatment with Saxenda, you may be eager to start the medicine and lose weight. However, the approval process may take some time. Your healthcare provider can send a prescription to your preferred pharmacy, and the pharmacy staff will submit your Saxenda prescription to your insurance company. At this point, one of these scenarios will occur:

  • Your Saxenda prescription will be covered. This is the best-case scenario. If the drug is not in stock, the pharmacy may take a day or two to order it.
  • Your prescription will require a PA. If your plan requires a PA, your healthcare provider will send supporting documentation, such as your weight, lab results, and notes from your visit, to your health insurance company. The insurance company will review the information and determine whether it will cover the medicine. This may take a few days or even up to a week or two. 
  • Your plan will deny your prescription. Some plans consider weight loss drugs (such as Zepbound, Wegovy, or Saxenda) to be formulary exclusions (not on the approved drug list) and do not cover them at all—even if the healthcare provider submits a PA and explains that the drug is medically necessary. 

What to do if UHC won’t cover Saxenda

If UHC won’t cover Saxenda, it doesn’t mean you have to give up hope of weight loss. There are savings options you can discuss with your healthcare provider or pharmacist, and there are also alternative treatments to consider. For example, you may be able to get coverage for liraglutide (generic Victoza) off-label for weight loss. (Victoza contains the same active ingredient as Saxenda but is used for Type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk reduction.) 

Other Saxenda alternatives include Ozempic (semaglutide), Mounjaro (tirzepatide), metformin, Qsymia (phentermine/topiramate), and Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion). You can discuss these options with your healthcare provider to see whether any would be suitable for you based on factors such as FDA-approved uses and potential side effects. Don’t forget to check your insurance coverage.  

How much does Saxenda cost?

If you are paying with insurance, your copay or coinsurance will vary based on your specific plan. It’s advisable to contact your health insurance plan for up-to-date information about coverage and out-of-pocket costs. 

If you are paying without insurance or discounts, a typical one-month prescription of Saxenda would cost about $1,805. This price is for a box of five, 18 mg pens, which is a one-month supply based on using a maximum dose of 3 mg once daily. If you use a free SingleCare coupon, you can pay as low as $1,214—a savings of almost $600 each time you fill your prescription.   

How much does Saxenda cost with United Healthcare?

If your specific United Healthcare plan approves coverage for Saxenda, the cost will depend on whether it is a preferred drug and what tier it is on. Drugs on higher tiers have higher copays than drugs on lower tiers. You can contact your plan for more information. 

How to check whether your UHC plan covers Saxenda 

There are a few ways to find out whether your United Healthcare plan covers Saxenda. You can:

  • Check the official Saxenda website. You can use the tool on the Novo Nordisk website to check your coverage for Saxenda. Within a few minutes, you should get information about Saxenda coverage, and possibly the cost as well. If the website cannot provide coverage information, you can request that they contact your health insurance plan and follow up with an email that outlines your coverage details.
  • Contact your health insurance plan directly. You can do this by visiting its website or by calling the phone number on the back of your insurance card. This is the best way to get coverage details and copay information specific to your exact plan.
  • Check with your pharmacy. Once your healthcare provider sends your prescription to your pharmacy, pharmacy staff can submit the prescription to your insurance plan and notify you of the next steps, such as whether a PA is required. In that case, the pharmacy can often help start the process by requesting that your healthcare provider submit the PA to your plan.

How to save on Saxenda

The best way to save on Saxenda is to use the SingleCare website or app to compare costs. Drug prices vary by pharmacy, and Saxenda may be more affordable at some pharmacies than others. Once you choose where to have your healthcare provider send your prescription, you can print or download a Saxenda coupon to show your pharmacist and save close to $600 per month.