Where are people getting Ozempic and what does it cost?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope this is ok to share here, but I am basically tearful with jealousy at all the posters whose insurances are covering it even though they don’t have “medical conditions”. I am overweight- I should be under 150 for a BMI of 25, and I’m 170. I have no other health problems. I CANNOT lose the weight and I’ve actually gained 10lb this past year when I stopped being hyper vigilant about calories and weighing myself daily. I am struggling so much and have so much self loathing for my lack of “willpower” or whatever it is that’s causing this. But I cannot afford a thousand dollars a month. I can’t even afford 550 a month like one of the posters.

I just want to take this drug and reduce my insane appetite and lose this weight and be healthy and feel good. I am so angry and sad.

Same here. I am 40 pounds overweight and have struggled to lose more than a few pounds. I persuaded my doctor to prescribe Weygovy, insurance wouldn't cover it, CVS wouldn't dispense without insurance coverage, and doctor basically said tough luck. I'm thinking of switching doctors in hopes of someone who will help me figure out a way to get one of these drugs.

This doesn’t sound right. My insurance doesn’t cover Ozempic, but CVS lets me pay cash. You do have to go in and talk to them though. Doing it online or by phone is theoretically possible I guess but it has been my experience that it’s faster to just go there and wait to talk to the pharmacist.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone else willing to share WHERE they get the prescriptions? I saw someone said $550 a month for some kind of clinic. Would love specific names of places to go, preferably around Chevy Chase/Bethesda/Kensington?? Thank you in advance!

Your primary care provider can prescribe it for you.

Mine has some qualms about the meds in general, and I don't want to show up at a new PCP and ask for it immediately. So I'm thinking more of doctors / clinics that specialize in this kind of thing, that wouldn't bat an eye. I will readily admit that I'm not obese, but I'm very close to the "overweight" line. So need someone that will prescribe in those circumstances.

[Anonymous]

[i]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Is anyone else willing to share WHERE they get the prescriptions? I saw someone said $550 a month for some kind of clinic. Would love specific names of places to go, preferably around Chevy Chase/Bethesda/Kensington?? Thank you in advance!

Your primary care provider can prescribe it for you.

Mine has some qualms about the meds in general, and I don't want to show up at a new PCP and ask for it immediately. So I'm thinking more of doctors / clinics that specialize in this kind of thing, that wouldn't bat an eye. I will readily admit that I'm not obese, but I'm very close to the "overweight" line. So need someone that will prescribe in those circumstances.

I’m not sure even a charlatan would prescribe it to someone who’s not even overweight unless you have high blood sugar. I’m not on a high horse here - I fully support people taking it for weight loss. But if you’re “very close to the ‘overweight’ line” then you’re at a healthy weight and the doctor is telling you no for a good reason.

[Anonymous]

PCP prescribed Wegovy 16 weeks ago. I had 35 pounds to lose and have lost 19. I fill the prescription at the pharmacy, it's no problem. Our insurance actually covers it - my cost is $25 per month.

I have been a yo-yo dieter for more than 30 years. I've done WW, Noom, and many others. The difference with the drugs, so far anyway, there are no plateaus. Every day I lose a little bit more, adding up to about a pound a week. With the others, one week you lose 2 pounds, one week you gain a pound, one week it's half a pound, then for 3 weeks you the same darn weight. Even the week before my period, when I used to be ravenous (which I'm not any more), I still lose weight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:PCP prescribed Wegovy 16 weeks ago. I had 35 pounds to lose and have lost 19. I fill the prescription at the pharmacy, it's no problem. Our insurance actually covers it - my cost is $25 per month.

I have been a yo-yo dieter for more than 30 years. I've done WW, Noom, and many others. The difference with the drugs, so far anyway, there are no plateaus. Every day I lose a little bit more, adding up to about a pound a week. With the others, one week you lose 2 pounds, one week you gain a pound, one week it's half a pound, then for 3 weeks you the same darn weight. Even the week before my period, when I used to be ravenous (which I'm not any more), I still lose weight.

This is a fine anecdote but just to add another, I still plateau and have ups and downs on Ozempic. They relate to my period, digestive side effects, the moon, idk what. My appetite is still affected by my period, too.

[Anonymous]

I went to a medical weightloss clinic in NOVA and I didn't even have to ask about semaglutides. The NP asked me right out of the gate, "are you open to weightloss drugs?" and when I said yes she handed me a sample and said she'd get started on the preauthorization from BCBS. My BMI is 31 and I'm prediabetic.

They also have a dietician on staff who has given me a meal plan that looks pretty keto-esque, but that I think I can handle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a medical weightloss clinic in NOVA and I didn't even have to ask about semaglutides. The NP asked me right out of the gate, "are you open to weightloss drugs?" and when I said yes she handed me a sample and said she'd get started on the preauthorization from BCBS. My BMI is 31 and I'm prediabetic.

They also have a dietician on staff who has given me a meal plan that looks pretty keto-esque, but that I think I can handle.

I hope you at least did the required blood work before!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I went to a medical weightloss clinic in NOVA and I didn't even have to ask about semaglutides. The NP asked me right out of the gate, "are you open to weightloss drugs?" and when I said yes she handed me a sample and said she'd get started on the preauthorization from BCBS. My BMI is 31 and I'm prediabetic.

They also have a dietician on staff who has given me a meal plan that looks pretty keto-esque, but that I think I can handle.

Which clinic, if you don't mind sharing?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a medical weightloss clinic in NOVA and I didn't even have to ask about semaglutides. The NP asked me right out of the gate, "are you open to weightloss drugs?" and when I said yes she handed me a sample and said she'd get started on the preauthorization from BCBS. My BMI is 31 and I'm prediabetic.

They also have a dietician on staff who has given me a meal plan that looks pretty keto-esque, but that I think I can handle.

I hope you at least did the required blood work before!

There is no “required “ blood work for semaglutides.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a medical weightloss clinic in NOVA and I didn't even have to ask about semaglutides. The NP asked me right out of the gate, "are you open to weightloss drugs?" and when I said yes she handed me a sample and said she'd get started on the preauthorization from BCBS. My BMI is 31 and I'm prediabetic.

They also have a dietician on staff who has given me a meal plan that looks pretty keto-esque, but that I think I can handle.

Which clinic, if you don't mind sharing?

Yes! Please share name of clinic! I’m looking for one in NOVA

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:PCP prescribed Wegovy 16 weeks ago. I had 35 pounds to lose and have lost 19. I fill the prescription at the pharmacy, it's no problem. Our insurance actually covers it - my cost is $25 per month.

I have been a yo-yo dieter for more than 30 years. I've done WW, Noom, and many others. The difference with the drugs, so far anyway, there are no plateaus. Every day I lose a little bit more, adding up to about a pound a week. With the others, one week you lose 2 pounds, one week you gain a pound, one week it's half a pound, then for 3 weeks you the same darn weight. Even the week before my period, when I used to be ravenous (which I'm not any more), I still lose weight.

This is a fine anecdote but just to add another, I still plateau and have ups and downs on Ozempic. They relate to my period, digestive side effects, the moon, idk what. My appetite is still affected by my period, too.

Co-signing with poster. PP hasn’t been on it long enough. I’ve been on it for 2 years, and you will definitely plateau! Your brain will definitely win out over this medication on many occasions and you will over eat and pay for it later. Don’t let these anecdote fool you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a medical weightloss clinic in NOVA and I didn't even have to ask about semaglutides. The NP asked me right out of the gate, "are you open to weightloss drugs?" and when I said yes she handed me a sample and said she'd get started on the preauthorization from BCBS. My BMI is 31 and I'm prediabetic.

They also have a dietician on staff who has given me a meal plan that looks pretty keto-esque, but that I think I can handle.

I hope you at least did the required blood work before!

There is no “required “ blood work for semaglutides.

I think there are some basic tests for liver function etc. Perhaps this PP already had them from an annual visit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a medical weightloss clinic in NOVA and I didn't even have to ask about semaglutides. The NP asked me right out of the gate, "are you open to weightloss drugs?" and when I said yes she handed me a sample and said she'd get started on the preauthorization from BCBS. My BMI is 31 and I'm prediabetic.

They also have a dietician on staff who has given me a meal plan that looks pretty keto-esque, but that I think I can handle.

I hope you at least did the required blood work before!

There is no “required “ blood work for semaglutides.

If you are hoping to get it covered by insurance and need to show that you are diabetic or prediabetic, you absolutely would need bloodwork done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to a medical weightloss clinic in NOVA and I didn't even have to ask about semaglutides. The NP asked me right out of the gate, "are you open to weightloss drugs?" and when I said yes she handed me a sample and said she'd get started on the preauthorization from BCBS. My BMI is 31 and I'm prediabetic.

They also have a dietician on staff who has given me a meal plan that looks pretty keto-esque, but that I think I can handle.

I hope you at least did the required blood work before!

There is no “required “ blood work for semaglutides.

If you are hoping to get it covered by insurance and need to show that you are diabetic or prediabetic, you absolutely would need bloodwork done.

The first sentence of the OPs post is

“I’m not diabetic “

Plus the poster you are responding to says she’s prediabetic, so that’s already a diagnosis indicating a A1C on the high side heading towards diabetes , but not there. However insurance won’t cover semaglutides for prediabetes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I hope this is ok to share here, but I am basically tearful with jealousy at all the posters whose insurances are covering it even though they don’t have “medical conditions”. I am overweight- I should be under 150 for a BMI of 25, and I’m 170. I have no other health problems. I CANNOT lose the weight and I’ve actually gained 10lb this past year when I stopped being hyper vigilant about calories and weighing myself daily. I am struggling so much and have so much self loathing for my lack of “willpower” or whatever it is that’s causing this. But I cannot afford a thousand dollars a month. I can’t even afford 550 a month like one of the posters.

I just want to take this drug and reduce my insane appetite and lose this weight and be healthy and feel good. I am so angry and sad.

Same here. I am 40 pounds overweight and have struggled to lose more than a few pounds. I persuaded my doctor to prescribe Weygovy, insurance wouldn't cover it, CVS wouldn't dispense without insurance coverage, and doctor basically said tough luck. I'm thinking of switching doctors in hopes of someone who will help me figure out a way to get one of these drugs.

This doesn’t sound right. My insurance doesn’t cover Ozempic, but CVS lets me pay cash. You do have to go in and talk to them though. Doing it online or by phone is theoretically possible I guess but it has been my experience that it’s faster to just go there and wait to talk to the pharmacist.

In my experience, CVS can be difficult. Even with insurance, they wouldn't fill it without confirming the price with the patient on more than one occasion.