One of the biggest gripes around weight loss medications like Wegovy and Zepbound is the high price tag. At $1,000 or more a month, these drugs can be out of reach. But a new initiative from the White House is aiming to bring those prices down to be in line with many other medications.
Details are a little hazy at this point, but the Trump Administration is vowing to “dramatically reduce” what Americans pay for popular weight loss medications, along with drugs designed to treat migraines and diabetes.
Here’s what we know right now, plus what a doctor who treats patients trying to lose weight wants the general public to keep in mind.
Meet the expert: Michael Russo, MD, is a bariatric surgeon at MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California.
A fact sheet issued by the White House on November 6 said that President Donald Trump negotiated deals with Eli Lilly and Company and Novo Nordisk to lower the costs Americans ultimately pay for certain medications.
Combined, these companies make some of the most popular injectable medications used for weight loss: Ozempic, Wegovy, Zepbound, and Mounjaro.
The agreement also states that Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk will guarantee Most Favored Nation (MFN) prices to all new medications that they bring to the market. MFN prices mean that the price of the drugs will be the same as the lowest price paid for the same medications in other developed nations.
Here’s what the Administration says people will end up paying:
The prices will be even lower for people on Medicare:
As of now, it appears that the lower prices cover only the lowest dose of these drugs. It’s unclear what the cost will be if people ramp up to higher doses.
One more thing to consider: The White House noted that these deals will be available at TrumpRx, but the website clearly states that it doesn’t sell medications. “Instead, it connects patients directly with the best prices, increasing transparency and cutting out costly third-party markups,” the website reads.
If you’re on Medicare, these medications should simply be covered by your health insurance to create these lower prices.
If everything works out, it will be a game-changer for patients, says Michael Russo, MD, a bariatric surgeon at MemorialCare Surgical Weight Loss Center at Orange Coast Medical Center in Fountain Valley, California. “Affordability and accessibility have been the biggest barriers with these medications,” Dr. Russo says. “Lowering these costs is wonderful and opens the door for more patients.”
Dr. Russo says he expects more patients to start taking these medications and stick with them (provided the lower pricing applies to higher doses as well). “Right now, some have to come off the medications due to prohibitive costs and benefits running out,” he says. “I’m excited because this means that our patients will be able to access these tools in a more reliable fashion.”
But Dr. Russo stresses that more details need to be ironed out. “The big question is how this will evolve,” he says.
The price cuts will go into effect no later than January for people paying cash, by mid-2026 for those on Medicare, and on an ongoing basis for people on Medicaid (depending on which states opt in), according to the White House.
It’s not clear right now how this will impact people with private health insurance, or whether insurance will reduce the out of pocket costs even more, Dr. Russo says.
One thing that won't change: Deciding whether to go on a weight loss medication still warrants a conversation with your doctor for personalized advice.
Korin Miller is a freelance writer specializing in general wellness, sexual health and relationships, and lifestyle trends, with work appearing in Men’s Health, Women’s Health, Self, Glamour, and more. She has a master’s degree from American University, lives by the beach, and hopes to own a teacup pig and taco truck one day.