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Is Ozempic covered by insurance | How much does Ozempic cost without insurance? | How to get Ozempic without insurance
Ozempic (semaglutide) is a brand-name prescription drug that lowers blood sugar levels in people diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes. It is also prescribed to reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems such as heart attack in people diagnosed with both Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Ozempic is not used to treat Type 1 diabetes. Belonging to a family of drugs called GLP-1 agonists, semaglutide reduces blood sugar by enhancing insulin release in the body and decreasing the body’s production of glucose.
Ozempic is administered once per week as a subcutaneous injection. Doses will start low and could rise to as high as 1 mg per week. Common side effects include constipation, diabetic retinopathy, and injection site or allergic reactions. Rarely, it may cause low blood sugar or hypoglycemia. There is no generic version of Ozempic yet available, so uninsured patients may need to pay the full retail price for the drug.
Is Ozempic covered by insurance?
Ozempic is a relatively new drug. Some commercial health insurance plans and Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D prescription drug plans cover an Ozempic prescription and some don’t. Many health insurance plans require prior authorization before covering a prescription or may prefer that you use a particular drug in this class first before covering another.
How much does Ozempic cost without insurance?
Uninsured patients can expect to pay $1,368 for a single 2 mg/1.5 mL pen injector (eight 0.25 mg doses or four 0.5 mg doses) or $1,205 for a single 4 mg/3 mL pen injector (four 1 mg doses). That’s about $170 to $342 per weekly dose depending on the dosage prescribed.
Health insurance will cover some of the cost of an Ozempic prescription, but the copay can vary depending on the plan. Patients with health insurance, however, could qualify for an Ozempic savings card from Novo Nordisk. Reach out to the manufacturer for eligibility requirements.
People without insurance should also ask the prescribing healthcare professional about other types of antidiabetic drugs that are available as lower-priced generics including metformin, sulfonylureas, meglitinides, alpha-glucosidase inhibitors, and bile acid sequestrants. These lower-cost drugs are all FDA-approved as effective at lowering blood glucose, but they may not be fully adequate substitutes for Ozempic. To control blood sugar levels, over-the-counter medications or supplements should not be substituted for prescription medications.
Compare Ozempic prices to related drugs |
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|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drug name | Price without insurance of brand-name drug | Average weekly cost without insurance | SingleCare price | Savings options |
| Ozempic 0.25 or 0.5 mg dose (semaglutide) | $1,368 for 1, 1.5 mL of 2 mg/1.5 mL solution pen injector |
$170–$342 (1 dose per week) | $752 for 1, 1.5 mL of 2 mg/1.5 mL solution pen injector for brand-name Ozempic |
See updated prices |
| Ozempic 1 mg dose (semaglutide) | $1,205 for 1, 3 mL of 4 mg/3 mL solution pen injector |
$301 (1 dose per week) | $774 for 1, 3 mL of 4 mg/3 mL solution pen injector for brand-name Ozempic |
See updated prices |
| Adlyxin (lixisenatide) | $689 for 2 prefilled injector pens with 14, 20 mcg doses |
$172 (1 dose per day) |
No SingleCare coupons at this time. | Adlyxin details |
| Bydureon Bcise (exenatide) | $756 for 4, 0.85 mL of 2mg/0.85mL solution pen injector |
$189 (1 dose per week) | No SingleCare coupons at this time | Bydureon details |
| Byetta | $817 for 1 prefilled injector pen with 60, 10 mcg doses |
$190 (2 doses per day) |
No SingleCare coupons at this time | Byetta details |
| Victoza (liraglutide) | $1,325 for 3, 3 mL of 18 mg/3 mL solution pen injector |
$206–$309 (1 dose per day) | $898 for 3, 3 mL of 18 mg/3 mL solution pen injector |
See updated prices |
| Trulicity (dulaglutide) | $1,204 for 4, 0.5 mL of 1.5 mg/0.5 mL solution pen injector |
$300 (1 dose per week) | $774 for 4, 0.5 mL of 1.5 mg/0.5 mL solution pen injector for brand-name Trulicity |
See updated prices |
| Rybelsus (semaglutide) | $1,309 for 30 tablets |
$305 (1 dose per day) | $779 for 30 tablets for brand-name Rybelsus |
See updated prices |
Prescription drug prices often change. These are the most accurate medication prices at the time of publishing. The listed price without insurance references the price of brand-name drugs. The listed SingleCare price references the price of generic drugs if available. Click the link under “Savings options” to see updated drug prices.
How to get Ozempic without insurance
With a yearly cost topping $16,000, Ozempic can be very difficult to pay for without health insurance coverage. Fortunately, there are ways to save a lot of money on an Ozempic prescription. The first step is to get a SingleCare discount card to save money on all your prescriptions.
1. Use a SingleCare savings card
Patients can save hundreds of dollars on an Ozempic prescription simply by using a free Ozempic coupon from SingleCare. The SingleCare savings card can be used at participating pharmacies and can reduce the weekly cost of Ozempic from $301 per week to as little as $194 per week, a $400 monthly savings.
2. Ask the prescriber about enrolling in patient assistance programs
Realistically, even with substantial savings, Ozempic is difficult to afford. Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer, offers a patient assistance program for uninsured patients, Novocare, but the prescribing healthcare provider must help with enrollment. If you meet the income eligibility requirements, you may be able to receive Ozempic at no cost. The prescriber should have enrollment forms and additional information about the program.
3. Buy a health insurance policy
One of the most enduring ways to save money on long-term, high-priced medications like Ozempic is to purchase health insurance. Not only are many health insurance plans cheaper than a year’s expenditure on Ozempic, but some plans are also surprisingly affordable. Start by comparing prices on your state’s health insurance marketplace website.
4. Sign up for Medicaid
If even the lowest cost health insurance is still too expensive, consider applying for Medicaid insurance plans. Designed to help people with low incomes, some Medicaid plans will cover expensive drugs like Ozempic. Check your state’s Medicaid website for eligibility requirements.
5. Ask the prescriber for medical advice about similar drugs
Ozempic belongs to a family of drugs called GLP-1 agonists. This family includes several other drugs. Unfortunately, all of them are premium-priced, brand-name drugs. However, Ozempic tops the list in terms of cost, so switching to another GLP-1 agonist may save hundreds of dollars.
6. Shop for the best price
Even though pharmaceutical companies often suggest a list price for prescription drugs, pharmacies can charge whatever they want. For drugs like Ozempic, prices can vary by a hundred dollars or more between pharmacies so it’s best to shop around.
