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How much does Zepbound (tirzepatide) cost with and without insurance?

By the PeptideAgent Editorial Team. Draft, pending editorial review.  Last verified

The short answer

Without insurance, tirzepatide runs about $275 to $1,112 per month depending on where it is bought. Which insurance covers Zepbound depends on the indication. Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes is widely covered; Zepbound for chronic weight management is excluded by many employer plans and by Medicare Part D when prescribed for weight loss alone. The December 2024 obstructive sleep apnea indication gives some patients a covered pathway to Zepbound. From July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027, the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge demonstration covers the Zepbound KwikPen (not vials or single-dose pens) for weight management at a $50 monthly copay for eligible Part D enrollees. Manufacturer savings cards apply to commercial insurance only. From October 1, 2026, one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers added Zepbound back to its most common commercial template formularies as an additional preferred option, so members of employer plans that use those formularies and choose to cover weight management drugs may have Zepbound covered; plan sponsors can still customize or exclude coverage.

Regulatory: FDA approvedVerified: Verified Sep 27, 2026
Savings card for Zepbound with commercial insurance
From $25 per month
Checked Sep 22, 2026
Medicare GLP-1 Bridge
$50 per month
Checked Sep 22, 2026
List price (Zepbound and Mounjaro)
$499 to $1,112 per month
Checked Sep 22, 2026
Self-pay Zepbound vials and KwikPen
$299 to $699 per month
Checked Sep 22, 2026
Telehealth program
$373 to $598 per month
Checked Sep 22, 2026
Compounded pharmacy (2024 survey)
$275 to $399 per month
Checked Sep 22, 2026

What each price includes, with sources

Zepbound coupon and savings card: self-pay vials and other channels

Prices in US dollars at the verification date. Ranges are published list or program prices where a primary source exists; notes say when a figure is a typical market range instead.

Tirzepatide price by purchase channel
ChannelPrice (USD)Notes
Savings card for Zepbound with commercial insuranceFrom $25per monthThe manufacturer savings card is what people search for as the "Zepbound coupon". When a commercial plan covers Zepbound, the savings card lets eligible patients pay as little as $25 for a one or three month supply of single-dose pens, subject to monthly and annual limits; government beneficiaries are excluded (checked 2026-09-22). Commercially insured patients with type 2 diabetes can use a separate savings card for Mounjaro. Plans that exclude weight management drugs may still cover Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes or Zepbound for obstructive sleep apnea; standard Medicare Part D coverage does not extend to drugs prescribed only for weight loss; the separate Medicare GLP-1 Bridge row covers that case. [1] [2] [11] [14]
Medicare GLP-1 Bridge$50per monthUnder the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, a CMS demonstration running from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027, eligible adults with Medicare Part D pay a $50 copay for a one-month supply of the Zepbound KwikPen prescribed for weight management; single-dose Zepbound vials and pens are not covered (checked 2026-09-22). Eligibility is set by BMI and qualifying conditions, prior authorization is required, and people with type 2 diabetes, moderate to severe sleep apnea, or fatty liver disease are excluded because their Part D plan may cover a GLP-1 instead. The copay does not count toward the Part D deductible or out-of-pocket limit. [9] [10]
List price (Zepbound and Mounjaro)$499 to $1,112per monthManufacturer list price (wholesale acquisition cost) per one-month fill before insurance, as published on the manufacturer's pricing pages (list prices accessed by the manufacturer on January 1, 2026; pages checked 2026-09-22): Zepbound $499 to $1,086.37 per fill depending on the product, and Mounjaro $1,112.16 for a month of four pens. Retail pharmacies may add a margin. [1] [2]
Self-pay Zepbound vials and KwikPen$299 to $699per monthManufacturer direct-to-patient self-pay prices for a 28 day supply of Zepbound as four single-dose vials or one multi-dose KwikPen, checked 2026-09-22: $299 at 2.5 mg, 399 at 5 mg, 499 at 7.5 mg, and 699 at 10 mg, 12.5 mg, and 15 mg. A manufacturer purchase offer lowers the 7.5 mg to 15 mg KwikPen to $449 per month when each refill is completed within 45 days, through December 31, 2026. Mounjaro is also sold self-pay, starting at $499 per month at every dose. [1] [3] [4]
Telehealth program$373 to $598per monthA licensed telehealth provider's published price, checked 2026-09-22: a program membership of $74 per month on an annual prepaid plan up to $149 on a month-to-month plan ($39 for the first month), plus the Zepbound KwikPen billed at the manufacturer self-pay price ($299 at 2.5 mg, 399 at 5 mg, 449 at 7.5 mg to 15 mg with the manufacturer refill offer). Membership plus medication comes to about $373 to $598 per month; the page lists the 7.5 mg to 15 mg price only with the manufacturer offer applied. [3] [8]
Compounded pharmacy (2024 survey)$275 to $399per monthHistorical price from a peer-reviewed study of websites selling compounded GLP-1 drugs, searched July to September 2024 during the shortage: 57 of 79 sites sold compounded tirzepatide, at a median first-month price of $330, interquartile range $275 to $399, including discounts. No current dated lawful price was found. Since the FDA 503A grace period ended on February 18, 2025 (503B on March 19, 2025), compounded tirzepatide is limited to documented patient specific needs, and on March 3, 2026 the FDA announced 30 warning letters to telehealth companies over false or misleading claims about compounded GLP-1 products. Adding a vitamin such as B12 or niacinamide does not by itself make a compounded GLP-1 different from the approved drug. Under FDA's April 1, 2026 policy update, such a combination may be treated as essentially a copy when the strengths are within 10% of approved products and the route is the same, unless a prescriber documents a real difference for the individual patient. A September 2026 FDA warning letter applied this to semaglutide and tirzepatide vitamin combinations, said high production volume suggested the claimed differences were a pretext, and questioned significant-difference statements picked from preset menus on prescribing platforms. [5] [6] [7] [12] [13]

Zepbound list price vs the cheapest lawful option

List prices are manufacturer wholesale acquisition costs for a one-month fill: Zepbound $499 to $1,086.37 per fill depending on the product and Mounjaro $1,112.16 at the verification date. The self-pay vial and KwikPen program is priced by dose and sits far below list because it bypasses pharmacy benefit managers.

Which insurance covers Zepbound?

Which insurance covers Zepbound depends on the indication. Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes is widely covered; Zepbound for chronic weight management is excluded by many employer plans and by Medicare Part D when prescribed for weight loss alone. The December 2024 obstructive sleep apnea indication gives some patients a covered pathway to Zepbound. From July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027, the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge demonstration covers the Zepbound KwikPen (not vials or single-dose pens) for weight management at a $50 monthly copay for eligible Part D enrollees. Manufacturer savings cards apply to commercial insurance only. From October 1, 2026, one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers added Zepbound back to its most common commercial template formularies as an additional preferred option, so members of employer plans that use those formularies and choose to cover weight management drugs may have Zepbound covered; plan sponsors can still customize or exclude coverage.

What changes the price?

  • Without insurance, the lowest published lawful price is the manufacturer self-pay vial or KwikPen at $299 per month for the 2.5 mg starting dose (checked 2026-09-22); compounded copies are no longer a routine lawful option
  • Whether the prescription is for a covered indication (type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea) or for weight loss alone
  • Single-dose pen at list price versus manufacturer self-pay vial or KwikPen
  • Dose strength: self-pay pricing rises from $299 at the 2.5 mg starting dose to $699 at 10 mg and above
  • Refilling on time, which keeps the manufacturer $449 refill offer for the 7.5 mg and higher KwikPen
  • Telehealth membership fees charged on top of the drug
  • Availability of a manufacturer savings card with commercial insurance

Frequently asked questions

How much does tirzepatide cost without insurance?

About $275 to $1,112 per month at the verification date, depending on the channel: list price (Zepbound and Mounjaro), self-pay Zepbound vials and KwikPen, compounded pharmacy (2024 survey), telehealth program. See the table above for what each figure includes. [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [12] [13]

Does insurance cover tirzepatide?

Which insurance covers Zepbound depends on the indication. Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes is widely covered; Zepbound for chronic weight management is excluded by many employer plans and by Medicare Part D when prescribed for weight loss alone. The December 2024 obstructive sleep apnea indication gives some patients a covered pathway to Zepbound. From July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027, the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge demonstration covers the Zepbound KwikPen (not vials or single-dose pens) for weight management at a $50 monthly copay for eligible Part D enrollees. Manufacturer savings cards apply to commercial insurance only. From October 1, 2026, one of the largest pharmacy benefit managers added Zepbound back to its most common commercial template formularies as an additional preferred option, so members of employer plans that use those formularies and choose to cover weight management drugs may have Zepbound covered; plan sponsors can still customize or exclude coverage. [1] [2] [9] [10] [11] [14]

What is the list price of tirzepatide?

List prices are manufacturer wholesale acquisition costs for a one-month fill: Zepbound $499 to $1,086.37 per fill depending on the product and Mounjaro $1,112.16 at the verification date. The self-pay vial and KwikPen program is priced by dose and sits far below list because it bypasses pharmacy benefit managers. [1] [2] [3] [4]

From the blog

More on the blog

Sources

  1. [1]Manufacturer pricing information page for tirzepatide for weight management: list price, self-pay prices by dose, and commercial savings card, accessed 2026-09-222026
  2. [2]Manufacturer pricing information page for tirzepatide for type 2 diabetes: list price and savings card eligibility, accessed 2026-09-222026
  3. [3]Manufacturer savings and self-pay terms for tirzepatide for weight management, including the KwikPen refill offer, accessed 2026-09-222026
  4. [4]Manufacturer direct-to-patient pharmacy page with self-pay prices for tirzepatide for type 2 diabetes, accessed 2026-09-222026
  5. [5]Online advertising of compounded glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (JAMA Health Forum, 2025): cross-sectional study of 79 websites with first-month pricesPubMed 39820389, 2025
  6. [6]FDA: concerns with unapproved GLP-1 drugs used for weight loss, including shortage resolution and compounding grace periodsFDA
  7. [7]FDA: warning letters to 30 telehealth companies over marketing of compounded GLP-1 products (March 3, 2026)FDA, 2026
  8. [8]Licensed telehealth provider price page (weight management membership and GLP-1 self-pay prices), accessed 2026-09-222026
  9. [9]Medicare.gov: weight loss drugs, Medicare GLP-1 Bridge coverage, eligibility, and $50 copay, accessed 2026-09-222026
  10. [10]CMS: Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, a demonstration from July 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027, accessed 2026-09-222026