Costco is gonna start selling Ozempic and Wegovy at way lower prices for those of us without insurance. My mind is kinda blown! Anyway, in case you missed it, these are those prescription pens everyone’s been talking about for weight loss – seriously, all over TikTok and stuff. Told ya!
The big cheese of Novo Nordisk just dropped the news, and, like, Friday was the day. You ever notice how big announcements come on Fridays? I wonder if it’s to keep us occupied over the weekend. Hmm… Anyhoo, the deal is that these pens are hitting up your local Costco pharmacy soon.
Oh, and get this: a four-week stash? Only $499 if you don’t have insurance! To put it in my context, that’s about as much as a weekend mini-vacay (minus the fun, though). But, whatever, gotta weigh priorities if shedding some pounds is on your list, right?
If you’re like me and sometimes fall into rabbit holes, check out Novo Nordisk’s direct site. They got the same deal going—CVS and Walmart too. Though I did find out if you’re hunting for cheaper stuff, those compounding pharmacies are doing their thing, mixing up their versions.
David Moore (sounds super official, right?), who’s the U.S. president of Novo Nordisk, had a chat with NBC News. They’re really pushing to make sure what they offer is the genuine stuff. Not like those knock-offs you sometimes find online. He also mentioned something about Costco being this mega trusted brand. Which, duh, it totally is. I mean, who can resist those free samples? Am I right???
So, Costco members, especially if you’ve got a prescription, will have to shell out about $499 for, like, a month’s worth of medicine. But wait—if you happen to be an Executive member or you’ve got one of those fancy Costco Citibank credit cards, you can snag a cash back deal. Kinda like a little pat on the back from the company for being a loyal shopper.
And here’s where it gets a bit murky, depending on your insurance mumbo jumbo. If you’re on a plan, the price might bounce around, following the whims of insurance rules, which can be a nightmare sometimes. Starting this Friday (mark it on your calendar), you’ll be able to grab these discounted prescriptions at any of the over 600 Costco pharmacies scattered across the nation.
Speaking of these drugs, there’s some buzz going around. Studies are kinda showing they might help slash the risk of strokes, tackle liver disease, and, oh yeah, keep that ticker of yours ticking smoothly. Dr. Rekha Kumar, this brainy endocrinologist from Weill Cornell Medicine (you might’ve heard of it) and a top medical adviser at Found Health, mentioned these meds have revolutionized diabetes treatment. But—there’s always a catch—they’re still pretty much out of reach for a bunch of folks: those without insurance or with plans that don’t think covering these prescriptions is a priority… sigh.
Basically, they’re saying there’s this new way for people to get their hands on some medicine that’s not your typical pharmacy deal. It’s like, “Hey! There’s another spot!” Ever been to one of those giant stores that seem to sell everything from groceries to clothes? Yep, that’s the ticket. But wait, it’s not all rainbows and sunshine, because guess what? It ain’t fixing the whole insurance mess or the price tag headache. Ugh, right?
Okay, jumping to 2024 – apparently, 13 states, yep, just 13, are covering these fancy GLP-1 drugs for dealing with obesity. Thanks, KFF, for keeping tabs on this stuff. (Whoever they are; not sure if I really understand, but whatever.) And get this—around 1 in 8 adults have dipped their toes in the GLP-1 agonist pool. Why does that sound like some sci-fi term, right?
Now, here’s what Novo Nordisk’s Moore dropped on us: If you’re one of the lucky ones with coverage, you get this medicine for like $25 a month. That’s like… a ridiculously cheap dinner for two. But there’s a catch—not everyone’s covered. Big shocker there. So they’ve made this self-pay option a thing. Because who needs savings, am I right?
But here’s the kicker: about 1 in 5 folks with private insurance don’t have coverage for at least one of those brand-name GLP-1 meds prescribed for weight loss. Go figure. That’s according to GoodRX. Great, more stats to process. I think I lost my train of thought somewhere… Ah, never mind.
Dr. Harlan Krumholz, who’s this cardiologist and a professor (though honestly, I always wondered if those job titles actually get you more respect? Or just more email spam?) at Yale School of Medicine, mentioned something pretty important. He’s all happy about medications being more accessible, but there’s a catch, like the ones you find in those late-night infomercials: they cost a whopping $499 a month. Who’s got that kind of money lying around?
The people who genuinely need this stuff, they’re often stuck in that lower socioeconomic bracket. Maybe their insurance is meh or even nonexistent. It’s not like they’ve got this magical pot of cash dedicated to meds. Seriously, who can just drop nearly 500 bucks a month on pills?
Dr. Krumholz said, with that kind of earnestly serious tone doctors tend to have (or maybe he just had a really strong coffee), that if we’re really aiming to improve the nation’s health, then we gotta make sure these folks, the ones who’d actually see the biggest benefit, can get these medications. I mean, come on, it’s common sense, right? But then again, common sense isn’t so common.
Oh, wait—speaking of which, this article got a little update on Oct. 3, 2025. Apparently, it’s not a 2% discount for buying weight loss drugs if you’re an executive member or a Costco Citibank credit card holder. Nope. It’s a cash back reward. Because we all appreciate a little surprise cashback, don’t we?