LillyDirect Expands Zepbound Access with New High-Dose Options at $499 - RxSaveCard
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LillyDirect Expands Zepbound Access with New High-Dose Options at $499

LillyDirect adds 12.5mg and 15mg vials to their Zepbound self-pay lineup, available for shipment starting August 1, 2025.
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12.5mg and 15mg Zepbound Vials

Overview

LillyDirect now offers every approved Zepbound dose through their direct-pay platform for $499 per month or less. The addition of 12.5mg and 15mg vials gives patients access to the highest therapeutic doses without insurance, while recent price cuts make lower doses more affordable than ever.

What's New with Zepbound Self Pay

Starting in early August 2025, patients can access Zepbound’s two highest doses—12.5mg and 15mg—directly from Lilly for $499 monthly through their LillyDirect Self Pay Pharmacy Solutions. Healthcare providers can begin prescribing these vials starting July 7th.

This completes Lilly’s self-pay vial lineup, with all doses now available at transparent pricing: 2.5mg starter dose for $349, and 5mg through 15mg doses at $499 monthly. Earlier this year, Lilly reduced prices on their lower-dose vials by $50 each, making the program more accessible as patients begin their weight management journey.

The Insurance Coverage Reality

The expansion comes as insurance access to GLP-1 medications becomes increasingly complicated. CVS Caremark stopped covering Zepbound effective July 1, 2025, affecting between 25 and 30 million individuals. The number of people with no commercial insurance coverage for Zepbound increased by over 14% in 2025, leaving another 4.9 million people with no coverage.

This insurance landscape creates a growing need for reliable, affordable cash-pay alternatives. Lilly’s direct-pay program bypasses traditional pharmacy benefit manager markups and provides consistent pricing regardless of insurance status.

The Future is Self Pay

The expansion reflects a broader movement away from traditional insurance-based healthcare toward direct-pay models. When both major GLP-1 manufacturers—Lilly and Novo Nordisk—launch comprehensive self-pay programs, it signals a fundamental shift in how Americans are able to access weight loss medications.

The reality is that paying cash is increasingly becoming cheaper and more reliable than navigating insurance coverage, prior authorizations, and formulary changes.

How RxSaveCard Enhances Access

RxSaveCard provides employers another pathway to support employee access to these medications. Through our GLP-1 program, employers can cover all or a portion of their employee’s costs when purchasing either Zepbound at LillyDirect, or Wegovy through NovoCare Pharmacy. With how affordable these medications are when purchased through direct cash pay, this is able to save self-insured employers thousands of dollars per employee per year when compared to costs via insurance.

For a personalized assessment of how these market developments might impact your specific plan, contact a member of our team today.
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