How to get the Zepbound coupon and save money on weight loss

When it comes to selecting a medication for weight loss that's a good fit for you, the amount of information on options like Zepbound®, Ozempic® , Wegovy®, and Victoza® can feel overwhelming. As a starting point, one factor to consider is cost, particularly if your insurance may not cover a specific drug.If you haven’t yet been prescribed Zepbound, you’ll want to find a health care provider to write a prescription. Ideally, look for someone who specializes in obesity medicine and who can personalize your prescription to target the biological cause of your weight issue. Providers at Found Health can create a treatment plan and care for you throughout weight loss and maintenance. 

For those who are prescribed Zepbound (tirzepatide), there's a way to save money on the medication using Eli Lilly's own Zepbound Savings Card (also known as the Zepbound coupon), as well as alternatives you may find more cost-effective. Let's take a look at those resources.

More on Zepbound—is it worth the cost?

Developed by the same manufacturer that produces Mounjaro® (tirzepatide), Zepbound features a dual mechanism that contributes to weight loss through decreased food consumption and increased energy expenditure while also regulating blood glucose levels and appetite.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Zepbound based on results from the weight loss drug's multi-phase clinical trials. In that research, participants on the highest dose lost an average of 52 pounds over 72 weeks—that's less than a pound per week, which is the kind of gradual progress that's crucial for long-term weight management. On the lowest dose, people taking Zepbound lost an average of 34 pounds of body weight.

According to Eli Lilly, Zepbound’s list price is $1,059.87 per four-week fill. The company notes the amount you pay for medications “will largely depend on your prescription drug insurance plan.”

What's involved with a Zepbound coupon?

As a way to make the drug more widely available to those who may not have full insurance coverage for a prescription, Eli Lilly created the Zepbound Savings Card program for patients looking to get a “coupon” for the medication.

Think of it as a Zepbound manufacturer coupon—easy to access and available to those who qualify. In fact, the Zepbound discount card is straightforward to get online. Users can complete three simple steps on the Zepbound site to see if they qualify for the card.

1. Choose the type of insurance plan you have and see if it may cover Zepbound.

2. Check if you're eligible for a Zepbound Saving Card.

3. Download your savings card if you're eligible.

The Zepbound coupon has terms and conditions for eligibility. Among them is that you don’t qualify if you’re enrolled in any state, federal, or government-funded health care program, “including, without limitation, Medicaid, Medicare, Medicare Part D, Medicare Advantage, Medigap, DoD, VA, TRICARE®/CHAMPUS, or any state prescription drug assistance program.”

You also need a prescription for Zepbound consistent with FDA-approved product labeling (rather than prescribed the drug "off label," which means it's being prescribed for a purpose other than weight loss as indicated), and you have to be enrolled in a commercial drug insurance plan. Other terms are that you must be a resident of the United States or Puerto Rico, and you must be 18 or older.

Within the category of commercial drug insurance coverage, Eli Lilly offers two discounts: one for policies that cover Zepbound and one for policies that don’t.

How to use the Zepbound coupon if your health insurance covers it 

If your commercial insurance drug plan covers Zepbound, you could pay as little as $25. Your copayment could be $25 for a 1-month, 2-month, or 3-month prescription fill of Zepbound. Card savings have a maximum monthly savings of $150 per 1-month prescription, $300 for a 2-month prescription, or $450 for a 3-month subscription. There is also a separate maximum annual savings of $1,800 per calendar year. The savings card may be used for up to 13 prescription fills per calendar year. Eli Lilly has the right to discontinue or change card terms and conditions without notice. At the end of the year, on December 31, 2024, the card expires, and your savings will end.

How to use the Zepbound coupon if your health insurance doesn’t cover it 

If your commercial drug insurance doesn’t cover Zepbound, you can get up to $563 off your 1-month prescription fill of Zepbound. The card savings can be used for up to 13 prescription fills over a calendar year, which means a maximum savings of up to $7,319 per calendar. That means you can use the Zepbound saving card even if your insurance doesn't cover the medication. The Zepbound coupon without insurance also expires on December 31, 2024. 

So whether you’re going the copay route or paying without insurance, make sure you take the time to look into what you qualify for so that you can get the lowest price for this FDA-approved medication.

What else can you do if your insurance denies coverage for Zepbound?

One step to consider when talking to your insurance provider is to ask about drug coverage based on a history of using other medications for weight loss first. This practice is called step therapy, and your provider will be able to walk you through it. Sometimes, insurers will cover a drug like Zepbound if this type of approach is already established, even if they decline coverage initially. That’s one of the biggest reasons that personalized prescribing—which Found health care providers offer—is so helpful because it can not only include step therapy, but may also include a better understanding of what works for you, and what doesn’t.

For some medications, insurers will cover generic versions of the drug but not the brand-name version. Unfortunately, there isn't a generic version of Zepbound available. Right now, Eli Lilly has a patent that doesn't expire until 2036, so there likely won't be a generic version for more than a decade. However, with research ongoing, there will surely be more studies highlighting the health benefits of Zepbound, as well as clinical success stories, so insurance companies may see the importance of providing drug coverage for Zepbound patients.

Are there alternatives to Zepbound?

Other medications are available on the market that are part of an obesity specialist’s toolkit when addressing a person’s unique biological needs. Health care providers who specialize in obesity medicine, such as those at Found, can prescribe other drugs to aid in weight loss that may be more cost-effective and typically don’t require step therapy. These meds also don’t involve weekly injections and they’re often the first line of drugs used for chronic weight management. Some may even help with weight-related conditions. 

Mounjaro, as mentioned, is a GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonist medication. It contains tirzepatide, the same active ingredient in Zepbound. There’s also an entire class of GLP-1 agonist drugs like Ozempic, Saxenda®, Trulicity®, Rybelsus®, Wegovy, and Victoza.

Tirzepatide and GLP-1 medications have the potential for minor and more serious side effects. Common side effects include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and acid reflux. More serious but less common side effects include pancreatitis, gallbladder disease, and worsening diabetic eye disease. You should not use these drugs if you have a personal or family history of medullary thyroid cancer or multiple endocrine neoplasias. Detailed side effects and risk information for specific GLP-1s, including tirzepatide can be found on our dedicated medication pages.

Other considerations with GLP-1 medications are potential non-coverage by insurers of these medications (especially if prescribed off-label), and the fact that while GLP-1s are effective for some, that doesn’t mean they’ll work for everyone. This is why personalized prescribing is so crucial to determine whether these drugs are a good fit for your needs.

When you’re ready, a Found-affiliated obesity-trained health care provider can help you determine which medication is right for your unique biology.

About Found

To discover your MetabolicPrint and start your journey with Found, take our quiz. Found is among the largest medically supported weight care clinics in the country, having served more than 200,000 members to date.

GLP-1/ GIP

GLP-1 and tirzepatide prescriptions, filled through your local pharmacy, are now available as part of Found's weight-loss toolkit. While these medications can be effective for weight loss, they are not clinically appropriate for everyone. Eligibility for these drugs is based on a thorough evaluation of your medical history and lab work. If GLP-1s or tirzepatide are not appropriate for you, our providers will work with you to determine an effective medication for your health profile.