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GLP-1 statistics 2026: prices, Medicare, Medicaid and shortages

Updated Sep 28, 2026. Numbers in brackets link to the source each fact comes from.

These are the numbers people most often ask about GLP-1 medicines in the US, each tied to the official page it comes from. Brand-name self-pay prices now start at $149 a month for the lowest pill doses [1] [6], and Medicare’s temporary GLP-1 Bridge charges eligible members $50 a month [8]. Each source below shows the day we read it; the live prices sit in our price index.

Brand-name self-pay prices

What the makers’ own pharmacies charge per month without insurance, at the lowest and highest dose of each weight-loss medicine:

Medicine Lowest dose Highest dose
Wegovy pill $149 for 1.5 mg [1] $299 for 9 mg or 25 mg [1]
Wegovy injection $199 for the first 2 fills of 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg, then $349 [2] $349 up to 2.4 mg; $399 for Wegovy HD 7.2 mg [2]
Zepbound (LillyDirect) $299 for 2.5 mg [3] $449 for 15 mg if you refill within 45 days [4]
Foundayo (LillyDirect) $149 for 0.8 mg [6] $299 for 17.2 mg if you refill within 45 days [7]

The Zepbound refill condition matters: if a 10 mg to 15 mg prescription is not refilled within 45 days, the regular price is $699 a month [5]. Neither maker’s self-pay page lists a different price by state. What does change by state is which online clinics can see you and what your Medicaid program covers; see GLP-1 prices by state and the Medicaid section below.

Medicare GLP-1 Bridge

Measure Figure
Monthly copay for eligible members $50 [8]
Dates July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027 [9]
Covered products Foundayo, Wegovy injection and tablets, Zepbound KwikPen [10]
Net price makers accept per monthly supply $245 [11]

How many people use it is less clear. The CMS pages cited here give no enrollment count. The only counts we found are from the White House, and they disagree:

White House document Seniors Savings
Fact sheet, August 31, 2026 over 500,000 [12] $216 million [12]
Fact sheet, September 18, 2026 600,000 [13] $216 million [13]
Release, September 18, 2026 more than 500,000 [14] $216 million [14]

The August fact sheet describes $50-a-month access that began in July of 2026 but does not name the Bridge [12]. Treat any single enrollment number as unconfirmed until CMS publishes one. To check eligibility, use our Medicare Bridge checker.

Medicaid coverage for weight loss

Each state decides. On the state pages we could read, these programs say they cover GLP-1s for weight loss, fully or in narrow cases:

State What the state page says
North Carolina Coverage for obesity reinstated effective Dec. 12, 2025 [15]
Delaware Obesity drugs covered with prior authorization when there are co-morbid conditions [16]
Mississippi Wegovy listed as a preferred anti-obesity drug, prior authorization required [17]
Minnesota A state House news story says coverage can continue for now; not a Medicaid agency page [18]
Michigan Limited to people classified as morbidly obese [19]
Virginia BMI of 40, or 35 with two or more chronic conditions [20]
Wisconsin Weight-management drugs with prior authorization: a BMI of 30 or more, or 27 to 30 with two or more risk factors [34]; Wegovy’s own entry covers heart risk, MASH and ages 12 to 17 [21]
Missouri Zepbound is the preferred drug in its obesity drug class, per an October 2025 provider bulletin [35]

Many other programs say they do not cover GLP-1s for weight loss; examples are New York [22], Pennsylvania from January 1, 2026 [23] and Illinois [24]. For some states we have not confirmed the answer; some of their pages block automated reading. Our Medicaid page keeps the current count, with every state’s own wording and source.

Shortage dates

Medicine In shortage from FDA declared it resolved
Tirzepatide injection (Zepbound, Mounjaro) 2022 [25] October 2, 2024 [25]; sent back for review in litigation [26], then resolved again December 19, 2024 [27]
Semaglutide injection (Wegovy, Ozempic) 2022 [28] February 21, 2025 [28]

In its April 2026 update, the FDA said neither drug is on its shortage list [29]. More on what that means for compounded versions is in is there still a GLP-1 shortage.

Compounded GLP-1s: the FDA’s figures

As of May 31, 2026, the FDA had received 990 adverse event reports tied to compounded semaglutide and more than 730 tied to compounded tirzepatide [30]. The agency says the real numbers are likely higher, because most compounding pharmacies are not required to report [31]. On March 3, 2026, it announced 30 warning letters to telehealth companies over false or misleading claims about compounded GLP-1s [32] [33]. GLPLens lists only FDA-approved brand-name medicines; our guide to fake and unapproved GLP-1 products explains why.

Sources

  1. Patients pay $149 for each month of 1.5 mg, $199 per month for 4 mg, and $299 per month for 9 mg and 25 mg. novocare.com, read Sep 27, 2026.
  2. Patients new to the Wegovy® Savings Offer or NovoCare® Pharmacy pay $199 for each month of 0.25 mg & 0.5 mg. Offer is for 2 monthly fills through December 31, 2026, then $349 per month for Wegovy® 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, 1.7 mg, or 2.4 mg, and $399 per month for Wegovy® HD (semaglutide) injection 7.2 mg. novocare.com, read Sep 27, 2026.
  3. 2.5 mg/0.5 mL (starting dosage) Self-pay price: Starting at $299/month* lilly.com, read Sep 27, 2026.
  4. 15 mg/0.5 mL Self-pay price: Starting at $449/month* when you refill within 45 days† lilly.com, read Sep 27, 2026.
  5. †For 7.5 mg, 10 mg, 12.5 mg and 15 mg doses, prices reflect monthly cost with Zepbound Journey Program. Regular prices will apply if prescription is not refilled within 45 days ($499 for 7.5mg, $699 for 10mg, $699 for 12.5mg, and $699 for 15mg). lilly.com, read Sep 27, 2026.
  6. 0.8 mg dose (starting dosage) Self-pay price: Starting at $149/month^ lilly.com, read Sep 27, 2026.
  7. 17.2 mg dose Self-pay price: Starting at $299/month^ when you refill within 45 days† lilly.com, read Sep 27, 2026.
  8. Eligible beneficiaries will have a $50 copay. cms.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  9. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will provide eligible Medicare beneficiaries access to certain GLP-1 medications for $50 per month beginning July 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027. cms.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  10. Foundayo®, Wegovy® (injection and tablets), and Zepbound® (KwikPen®) cms.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  11. Under the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, participating manufacturers will provide eligible GLP-1 drugs at a net price of $245 per monthly supply. cms.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  12. In July of 2026, senior citizens without access to GLP-1 coverage to treat obesity gained access for just $50 per month. In the two months since the launch of this program, over 500,000 seniors have saved a total of $216 million dollars on these life-changing medicines. whitehouse.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  13. In the two months since the launch of this program, 600,000 seniors have saved a total of $216 million dollars on these life-changing medicines. whitehouse.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  14. GLP-1 drugs that once cost over $1,000 a month start as low as $149; eligible Medicare seniors pay just $50 a month, with more than 500,000 seniors already saving $216 million. whitehouse.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  15. In accordance with the Governor’s directive, NC Medicaid coverage for GLP-1s for the treatment of obesity is being reinstated effective Dec. 12, 2025. medicaid.ncdhhs.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  16. Drugs indicated for the treatment of obesity to address weight loss with co-morbid conditions are covered by the DMAP with prior authorization. regulations.delaware.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  17. ANTIOBESITY SELECT AGENTS PREFERRED AGENTS NON-PREFERRED AGENTS PA CRITERIA SAXENDA (liraglutide) orlistat All agents MANUAL PA required WEGOVY (semaglutide) XENICAL (orlistat) medicaid.ms.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  18. Medical Assistance coverage of weight loss drugs can continue for now house.mn.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  19. (2) The department shall revise existing pharmacy coverage policies to limit the authorization of anti-obesity GLP-1 receptor agonists exclusively to individuals classified as morbidly obese. legislature.mi.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  20. Requirement that patients have a BMI of at least 40 kg/m2, or a BMI of at least 35 kg/m2 and two or more chronic conditions, for approval of GLP-1 drugs vamedicaid.dmas.virginia.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  21. PA requests for Wegovy injection will only be approved for use in the identified clinical conditions: To reduce the risk of MACE in overweight or obese adults with established cardiovascular disease To treat MASH in adults To reduce excess body weight and maintain weight reduction long term in pediatric patients aged 12–17 years old with obesity forwardhealth.wi.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  22. At this time, NYRx does not cover medications, such as Wegovy or Ozempic, when indicated for the treatment of weight loss. health.ny.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  23. Effective January 1, 2026, drugs containing a GLP-1 receptor agonist will not be covered for the treatment of overweight and obesity. pacodeandbulletin.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  24. At this time Wegovy and Zepbound will not be covered for weight loss alone. hfs.illinois.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  25. [10/02/2024] The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has determined the shortage of tirzepatide injection, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) medication, has been resolved. Tirzepatide injection has been in shortage since 2022 due to increased demand. fda.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  26. [10/22/2024] As part of litigation, the decision to remove tirzepatide from the FDA drug shortage list has been remanded to the agency for reevaluation. fda.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  27. [12/19/2024] FDA re-evaluated its determination from October 2, 2024, on the status of the tirzepatide shortage. Today, FDA has issued a new decision determining the tirzepatide injection shortage is resolved. fda.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  28. [2/21/2025] FDA has determined the shortage of semaglutide injection products, a glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) medication, is resolved. Semaglutide injection products have been in shortage since 2022 due to increased demand. fda.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  29. Tirzepatide and semaglutide do not currently appear on the 503B bulks list or on FDA’s drug shortage list. fda.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  30. As of May 31, 2026, the FDA has received: 990 reports of adverse events associated with compounded semaglutide. more than 730 reports of adverse events associated with compounded tirzepatide. fda.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  31. However, federal law does not require state-licensed pharmacies that are not outsourcing facilities to submit adverse events to FDA so it is likely that adverse events from compounded versions of these drugs are underreported. fda.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  32. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced the issuance of 30 warning letters to telehealth companies for making false or misleading claims regarding compounded GLP-1 products offered on their websites. fda.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  33. March 03, 2026 fda.gov, read Sep 27, 2026.
  34. The member has a BMI greater than or equal to 30. The member has a BMI greater than or equal to 27 but less than 30 and has two or more of the following risk factors: forwardhealth.wi.gov, read Sep 28, 2026.
  35. Zepbound® is the preferred agent in the Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) Receptor Agonists Indicated for Obesity PDL Edit content.govdelivery.com, read Sep 28, 2026.