The price you pay for Zepbound may depend on factors such as your dosage, whether you have health insurance, your location, and the pharmacy you use. Financial assistance may be available to help you with the cost of Zepbound.

Several factors can affect the price you’ll pay for Zepbound. These include:

  • your treatment plan
  • the form you use
  • your insurance coverage (see the “Cost of Zepbound with insurance vs. without insurance near me” section)
  • your location
  • the pharmacy you use
  • available financial assistance for Zepbound (see the “Financial and insurance assistance” section)

To find out how much you’ll pay for Zepbound and where you can buy it, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider. The next section, “Zepbound coupons and savings,” includes information about how much you can save by using an Optum Perks coupon.

Coupons and savings

To save money on your Zepbound prescription near you, explore these Optum Perks coupons.

The cost of Zepbound without insurance versus with insurance near you can vary based on several factors.

Some factors that may affect your cost of Zepbound without insurance include:

  • your treatment plan and dosage
  • your location
  • the pharmacy you choose
  • the quantity of Zepbound you receive (such as a 30-day or 90-day supply)
  • any savings programs you qualify for (see the “Financial and insurance assistance” section)

The same factors affect your cost of the drug if you’re paying through insurance. But your cost with insurance may also depend on:

  • your individual plan benefits
  • any prior authorization requirements for your plan (see the “Prior authorization” section for more information)

To find out more about your cost of Zepbound with and without insurance, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider (if you have one).

Whether you have insurance or not, you can visit Optum Perks to get price estimates for Zepbound when you use coupons from the site. It’s important to note that Optum Perks coupons cannot be used with any insurance copays or benefits. (Optum Perks is a sister site of Healthline.)

Why your insurance may not cover Zepbound

After talking with your insurance company, you may find that they don’t cover Zepbound for various reasons. This may be because they:

  • only cover it for certain uses
  • use step therapy, which means you need to try other therapies before they cover Zepbound
  • don’t include Zepbound in their formulary (list of covered drugs)

There may be other reasons that your insurance provider doesn’t cover Zepbound. You may be able to appeal their decision or get Zepbound without using your insurance. Talk with your doctor or pharmacist to learn more.

Below are answers to some frequently asked questions about Zepbound and cost.

Is the Zepbound vial cheaper than the pen form?

Possibly. Your price of Zepbound may depend on several factors, including the form you’re prescribed.

Zepbound comes in two forms: single-dose vials or prefilled single-dose pens. Each form comes in the same strengths. If you’re paying out of pocket or don’t have insurance, the vial form of Zepbound will likely be cheaper than the pen form. If you have insurance, the pen may be cheaper depending on your specific insurance coverage.

Talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance company if you have questions about what form of Zepbound is cheaper for you.

Which is more expensive, Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy, or Saxenda?

The cost of Zepbound compared with the cost of similar drugs, such as tirzepatide (Mounjaro), semaglutide (Wegovy), or liraglutide (Saxenda), can depend on several factors. These include:

  • whether there are any savings programs available for the drug you’re prescribed
  • whether you have insurance or are paying out of pocket
  • how long your treatment lasts

Additionally, all of these drugs come as injection pens. But for Saxenda, you’ll also need to buy needle tips that attach to the pen. Wegovy and Zepbound don’t require needle tips. If you’re prescribed the vial form of Mounjaro, you may also need to buy needles and syringes to be able to take your dose.

If you have questions about the cost of Zepbound compared with the cost of similar medications, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider. They can share more details on treatment costs based on your specific situation.

Zepbound only comes as a brand-name drug. It’s not currently available in a generic version. A generic contains an exact copy of the active drug in a brand-name medication but tends to cost less.

Why is there such a cost difference between brand-name drugs and generics?

Years of research and testing are needed to ensure that brand-name drugs are safe and effective. This testing can make the drugs expensive. The manufacturer of a brand-name drug can sell the drug exclusively for up to 20 years. After that, other drugmakers can create generic versions. This competition in the market can lead to lower costs for generics. And because generics have the same active ingredients as brand-name drugs, they don’t need to be studied again. This can also lead to lower generic costs.

If you take Zepbound long term, you may be able to lower your costs in the following ways:

Look into getting a 90-day supply of your medication: You may be able to get a 90-day supply of Zepbound if approved by your insurance company. This could reduce your number of trips to the pharmacy and help lower the cost of Zepbound. If you’re interested in getting a 90-day supply of this drug, talk with your doctor, pharmacist, or insurance provider.

Use a mail-order pharmacy to get your medication: Using a mail-order pharmacy might help lower your cost for Zepbound. Plus, you could get your medication without leaving home. Some Medicare plans may help cover the cost of mail-order drugs. You may also be able to get a 90-day supply of the drug through mail order. If you don’t have health insurance, talk with your doctor or pharmacist. They may be able to suggest online pharmacy options that could work for you.

If you need financial support to pay for Zepbound or help understanding your insurance coverage, assistance is available. For example:

  • The drug manufacturer offers a Zepbound Savings Card. For more information and to find out whether you’re eligible for support, call 866-923-1953 or visit the program website.
  • Some websites provide details about drug assistance programs, ways to make the most of your insurance coverage, and links to savings cards and other services. Two such websites are:

If you have insurance, you may need to get prior authorization before your insurance provider will cover Zepbound. This means your insurer and your doctor will discuss Zepbound in regard to your treatment. Then, the insurance company will determine whether the drug is covered. If Zepbound requires prior authorization, but you don’t receive it before you start treatment, you could pay the full cost of the drug.

Be sure to ask your insurance company whether Zepbound requires prior authorization.

Disclaimer: Healthline has made every effort to make certain that all information is factually correct, comprehensive, and up to date. However, this article should not be used as a substitute for the knowledge and expertise of a licensed healthcare professional. You should always consult your doctor or another healthcare professional before taking any medication. The drug information contained herein is subject to change and is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. The absence of warnings or other information for a given drug does not indicate that the drug or drug combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for all patients or all specific uses.