Ozempic access lost? GLP-1 alternatives for weight loss and weight maintenance

ahsan65@gmail.comMay 22, 2025

0 0 2 minutes read

Ozempic access lost? GLP-1 alternatives for weight loss and weight maintenance

Some GLP-1 users were able to win back coverage by continuing all the possible options in the confusing world of health care.

Call for lost coverage

Bridget Roberts, 37, was reappeared for Zepbounde by remaining patient and persistent. It started when the resident of Pottsgrove, Pennsylvania, received a letter that her insurance company no longer covered GLP-1.

“At the start, I felt that I was condemned,” she said. “Something was finally working for me, and I was more alive than ever, and they wanted to take it to me.”

Roberts rejected. She called for calling on several occasions, obtaining another story each time. His perseverance finally borne fruit. She spoke to someone’s insurance company who told her to ask her doctor for a new prior authorization, a type of pre-approval request that an insurance company sometimes obliges doctors to submit before agreeing to cover a treatment.

“It was as if she was talking about the code, as if she knew something I didn’t have,” said Roberts. She and her doctor were also confused because she already had a prior authorization, but when the doctor put the new request, her drugs were approved.

Switching diagnostics

Other GLP-1 users have successfully retained the coverage by modifying the diagnosis indicated on their prescriptions.

“Many GLP-1s are approved by the FDA for more than weight loss, including type 2 diabetes, reduction in cardiovascular risks and even prevention of strokes in certain populations,” explains Supriya Rao, MD, gastroenterologist and obesity expert in gastronomic consultants in Boston.

If your insurer has canceled the coverage for a weight loss medication, it may be the same medication for a different disease, such as sleep apnea or heart disease. A new prescription for a new condition “can make the difference between the complete denial and the full coverage”, explains Dr. Rao.

Brianna Johnson-Rabbett, MD, endocrinologist at Nebraska Medicine and director of the American Board of Obesity Medicine, offers some examples. “If someone has established cardiovascular disease and is obese or overweight, Wegovy can be prescribed by this indication,” said Dr. Johnson-Rabbett. “If someone has moderate to severe apnea and obstructive obesity, Zepbound can be prescribed for this indication.”

However, switching diagnostics are not a cover guarantee. “Insurance can always decide not to cover a medication, even if the FDA indications to prescribe these drugs are respected,” explains Johnson-Rabbett.

Search for discounts

A variety of discounts may be available from manufacturers.

The manufacturers of Wegovy and Zepbounds offer coupons and savings cards which can considerably lower your cost of the pocket for a year. However, not everyone qualifies for these programs, and they cannot be used indefinitely.

The two GLP-1 manufacturers have also started to offer discounts to users who pay directly in cash. These programs, which cost around $ 500 per month, may require the use of a bottle and a syringe, as opposed to self-projector pens.

ahsan65@gmail.comMay 22, 2025

0 0 2 minutes read