Medicare to Cover GLP-1 Drugs, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound Priced at $299 Under TrumpRx
Medicare will begin covering injectable and oral GLP-1 obesity treatments in mid-2026, making Eli Lilly’s Zepbound available at a $299 per vial list price under the TrumpRx program with a $50 copay. The 72% discount could boost Zepbound prescriptions but may compress margins amid intense GLP-1 competition.
1. Medicare Expansion for GLP-1 Coverage
Medicare will begin covering injectable and oral GLP-1 obesity treatments in mid-2026 with patients responsible for a $50 copay, opening access to approximately 67 million beneficiaries of whom 15 million fall into the target group for these drugs.
2. TrumpRx Program Price Cuts
Under the TrumpRx initiative, Eli Lilly’s Zepbound is listed at $299 per vial, reflecting a 72% discount to standard rates, while competitors’ Wegovy pills and pens are priced at $149 and $199 respectively.
3. Implications for Eli Lilly
The expanded coverage and steep price discounts are expected to drive prescription volume growth for Zepbound, though Eli Lilly may face margin compression as discounts pressure realized prices.
4. Competitive Market Dynamics
Rapid uptake will be gradual given slow adoption among commercially insured patients, intensifying the competition between Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk as both negotiate timing and strategies to capture market share.