Can I use a savings card with Medicare or Medicaid?

Manufacturer copay cards are for commercially insured patients; federal rules exclude patients whose prescriptions are paid by Medicare, Medicaid or other government programs.

Are direct-to-patient prices the same everywhere?

The manufacturer publishes one price per strength; telehealth providers that pass it through may add a fee. This site records the medication price and any fee separately with the date.

Published August 27, 2026 · updated August 27, 2026 · regulatory and clinical facts last checked 2026-08-27

Manufacturer savings cards and direct-to-patient programs for GLP-1s

How the manufacturers' savings cards and direct-to-patient cash channels for Zepbound, Mounjaro, Wegovy and Ozempic work, who is eligible, and how this site records their prices.

Savings cards (copay cards)

Each manufacturer offers a savings program for its approved products that reduces the patient’s copay when a commercial plan covers the drug, subject to a monthly and annual cap and to eligibility terms. Cards do not apply to government insurance and generally do not help when the plan does not cover the drug at all, although some manufacturers have offered a reduced cash price for uncovered commercially insured patients. Terms change; the provider profile links to the manufacturer’s page rather than restating the terms.

Direct-to-patient cash channels

Both manufacturers sell for cash through their own pharmacy channels: Lilly’s for Zepbound single-dose vials and Novo Nordisk’s for Wegovy. Prices are published per strength and may depend on refill timing. A prescription is required; several telehealth providers write it and pass the manufacturer’s price through with a fee. In our database, a verified example lists Wegovy pens at the direct-to-patient price plus a $25 monthly plan fee, recorded with medication and fee separated.

Why this site does not print the manufacturer prices from memory

They change, and the brief for this site is that every price comes from a dated capture. Manufacturer direct prices are recorded as brand plans in the pricing database when a provider or the manufacturer page has been captured; the pricing database shows what is verified today.

What to check

Eligibility for the card (commercial insurance, no government payer); the cap and its reset date; whether the telehealth provider’s fee is on top of the direct price; and whether refills at the direct price depend on ordering on schedule.

Questions this page answers

Can I use a savings card with Medicare or Medicaid?: Manufacturer copay cards are for commercially insured patients; federal rules exclude patients whose prescriptions are paid by Medicare, Medicaid or other government programs.
Are direct-to-patient prices the same everywhere?: The manufacturer publishes one price per strength; telehealth providers that pass it through may add a fee. This site records the medication price and any fee separately with the date.

Sources

Manufacturer savings and direct-to-patient program pages (verified at each capture) (manufacturer)
Verified brand plan records (provider)

Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Report an error.