How to Get Wegovy for Weight Loss

Wegovy (semaglutide) is an injectable prescription medication that’s approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for chronic weight management in adults with overweight and obesity (1).

When used alongside a healthy, reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity, Wegovy has been shown to promote weight loss and improve other markers of metabolic health (2).

This article explains how to get Wegovy for weight loss and also covers cost, insurance coverage, and eligibility.

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Wegovy was first approved for weight loss by the FDA in 2021 and has been used since to help manage body weight in people with overweight and obesity. According to the manufacturer, it’s currently the #1 prescribed medication for chronic weight loss in the United States (3).

Wegovy’s active ingredient is semaglutide, a type of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist. GLP-1 agonists work by activating receptors for GLP-1, a hormone that regulates appetite. Wegovy is 94% similar to the GLP-1 hormone that your body naturally produces (4).

Semaglutide is also the main active ingredient in another GLP-1 agonist medication, Ozempic. However, unlike Wegovy, Ozempic is not FDA-approved for weight loss.

Although Wegovy’s exact effect on the brain is unknown, researchers think the medication targets certain areas in the brain to help reduce appetite and increase feelings of fullness. This helps people eat fewer calories, which encourages weight loss (4).

Wegovy is injected once per week. The recommended dose is 2.4 milligrams (mg) once per week. However, it’s generally recommended that new users gradually work up to 2.4 mg over 16–20 weeks to reduce the risk of digestive side effects such as diarrhea and vomiting (1).

Learn more about how Wegovy works, how to use it, and its potential side effects in our comprehensive guide.

Wegovy is a prescription-only medication, which means you must get a prescription from a licensed healthcare professional, such as a doctor or nurse practitioner, to access it.

Once you have a prescription for Wegovy, you can fill it at your local pharmacy or through a reputable online pharmacy.

Some online weight loss programs, such as Ro Body Program and Calibrate, include Wegovy prescriptions as part of the treatment plans. Here’s a quick explanation of these two programs:

• Ro Body Program: This virtual program combines personal coaching, regular weighing with a smart scale, an online curriculum for building healthy habits, and a prescription for Wegovy or Ozempic from a licensed healthcare professional for eligible customers. You can read more about it in our Ro Health review.
• Calibrate Metabolic Reset: This weight loss program combines biweekly 1-on-1 coaching, an online curriculum, and a prescription for Wegovy, Ozempic, or other clinically appropriate GLP-1 medication. You can learn more about how Calibrate works in our expert review.

The current out-of-pocket cost for a month’s supply of Wegovy is $1,349.02 (5).

Keep in mind that Wegovy is meant to be used for long-term weight management, and many people have to stay on Wegovy for years to maintain their weight loss. This means people taking Wegovy may have to spend a significant amount of money on the medication every year.

Is it covered by insurance?

Insurance companies are not required to cover weight loss medications. This means that weight loss drugs such as Wegovy are often excluded from health insurance coverage.

But every policy is different, and some insurance companies may cover some of the cost.

You may also be able to get some of the cost of Wegovy covered by submitting a request for coverage to your health insurance provider with the help of a healthcare professional (6).

If you get a prescription through an online weight loss program such as Ro or Calibrate, the program will generally contact your health insurance provider to find out whether your plan covers Wegovy and other GLP-1 agonist medications.

Discounts

You may be able to take advantage of savings offers from the manufacturer of Wegovy.

Using the WeGoTogether savings offer from Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy, people with health insurance coverage may pay as little as $0 per 28-day supply of Wegovy, and people paying out-of-pocket can save up to $500 per 28-day supply of Wegovy (7).

However, you’re not eligible for these savings offers if your insurance coverage comes from Medicare, Medicaid, Tricare, or another government-affiliated healthcare plan.

According to the manufacturer’s website, the offer expires on December 31, 2023, and it’s currently unknown whether the savings program will continue after 2023.

You may also be able to save money by using websites and medical practices that offer discounted rates for Wegovy. Some practices offer special packages that allow you to prepay for several months’ worth of Wegovy injections at a heavily discounted rate.

A healthcare professional may prescribe Wegovy for you if (1):

• you have a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more
• you have a BMI of 27 or more and a weight-related medical condition, such as high blood cholesterol and triglyceride levels or high blood pressure

Most healthcare professionals will not prescribe Wegovy or other weight loss medications unless you’ve had difficulty losing weight in the past through traditional methods, such as following a lower calorie diet and being more active.

To be effective, Wegovy should be paired with a nutritious, reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity.

Who should not take Wegovy?

Wegovy and other semaglutide-based medications are not safe for everyone.

For example, Wegovy may not be appropriate for people who (8):

• have a personal or family history of a type of thyroid cancer called medullary thyroid carcinoma
• are pregnant, nursing, or trying to get pregnant
• have a history of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndrome type 2
• have diabetic retinopathy
• have medical conditions that affect the kidneys and pancreas

Because Wegovy interacts with certain medications, it’s important to talk with your healthcare professional about the types of medications you’re already taking before you start Wegovy.

Who can prescribe Wegovy for weight loss?

Only licensed healthcare professionals, such as doctors and nurse practitioners, can prescribe Wegovy.

Is there an OTC version of Wegovy?

Currently, there are no over-the-counter GLP-1 receptor agonist medications available. You must get a prescription for Wegovy from a licensed healthcare professional.

Are there coupons available for Wegovy?

The manufacturer of Wegovy, Novo Nordisk, offers a savings program called WeGoTogether. Using the WeGoTogether savings offer from Novo Nordisk, people with health insurance coverage may pay as little as $0 per 28-day supply of Wegovy, and people paying out-of-pocket can save up to $500 per 28-day supply of Wegovy (7).

However, the offer is not available to people with certain types of insurance coverage. Additionally, the offer is set to expire at the end of 2023.

How much weight can you lose in a month with Wegovy?

Research has shown that adults with obesity who use semaglutide (Wegovy) daily lose an average of 9.6–17.4% of their initial body weight after 68 weeks (a little over 15 months) (10).

However, it’s worth noting that some of the authors of this research received grants from Novo Nordisk, the manufacturer of Wegovy, for other research they conducted in the past.

Keep in mind that Wegovy isn’t meant to produce rapid weight loss. It’s a chronic weight management medication, which means you may have to use it for several months before you start seeing results. Also, you’ll need to continue using it long term to maintain the results.

Wegovy is a prescription-only medication, which means you have to get a prescription from a licensed healthcare professional, such as a physician or nurse practitioner, to use it.

A healthcare professional may prescribe Wegovy for you if you’ve had trouble losing weight in the past through traditional methods, such as increasing physical activity and reducing your calorie intake.

However, Wegovy is not appropriate or safe for everyone. And you’ll need to keep taking Wegovy to maintain your weight loss, which can be extremely expensive.

If you’re interested in taking a weight loss medication such as Wegovy, the first step is making an appointment with a trusted healthcare professional to discuss your options.