What might I pay?

Why can the same medicine have different prices?

The price depends on how you pay: with insurance, out of pocket, with a discount card or through a government program.

List price is the maker's published starting figure. A copay is the part billed to an insured patient.

A discount card offers a lower price. A copay card is a different offer: it can lower the part you pay when using insurance.

As of September 2026, makers' copay cards for semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) require workplace or private insurance. They exclude government health coverage, such as Medicare, Medicaid and military plans.

That limit is about copay cards. People with government health coverage can generally still pay the maker's cash price, as of September 2026.

Ask whether you qualify for the offer and what you would pay.

Have the person quoting a price explain which price type it is.

What does a price example tell me?

GLP-1 drugs are medicines used for blood sugar or weight care; semaglutide (Ozempic, Wegovy) is an example.

In September 2026, a government website advertised a cash price starting at $149 for a monthly supply of semaglutide (Wegovy) tablets.

Strength means how much of the drug is in each tablet or injection.

That was the lowest-strength offer, not the price of every tablet strength or injection.

An advertised drug price can be an opening offer or tied to a particular strength.

This example is not a quote for a Berkeley visit or for every peptide.

Ask for a price for your exact medicine and coverage. Keep visit fees and test fees on separate lines.

Does the care fee include the medicine?

In a small September 2026 sample of online weight-care offers, most had a monthly charge for care and a separate medicine bill.

Those were advertised offers from national services. They do not tell you what a Berkeley visit will cost.

Ask what the fee covers: the first visit, later questions, test review or ongoing visits. Ask what happens when an opening offer ends.

What do I ask my insurance plan?

Formulary is the plan's name for its covered-drug list. With prior authorization, the plan has to give approval before paying.

Medicare is a federal health insurance program.

Medicare may cover a medicine differently for different illnesses it treats, as of September 2026.

Ask your plan about the exact medicine and reason for use. Get the plan's approval paperwork requirements and your share of the cost.

What belongs on the bill?

Ask for each item in writing before comparing offers.

• Care fee and when it repeats
• Medicine and what the quoted supply covers
• Tests, including any charge to review them
• Delivery or other charges, if any
• Renewal, cancellation and refund terms