What a GLP-1 Program Really Costs Per Month: Every Hidden Fee Added

Last reviewed: 19 September 2026

Real monthly cost, program by program

The headline price each program advertises, the figure you pay in a normal month once every published part is added, and what the headline leaves out. Values are the ones on each review page.

Where a program does not publish a figure, the cell says so; we do not estimate. Prices checked between Sep 5 and Oct 1, 2026.

Every program’s first-month and ongoing price: the full GLP-1 price list.

Is medication included in a GLP-1 program’s price?

Not always, and the headline rarely says so. Three programs we checked advertise a fee that excludes the medication. G-Plans charges $99 for the first month and $129 a month after that for its program, then says medication “can be as low as $20/mo to $199/mo, depending on the medication”. JRNYS charges $89 to $169 a month for membership and states that medication pricing “is confirmed after your provider consultation”. MEDVi lists its brand-name Wegovy pill route as “$99 Membership + Medication Cost”.

Others put everything in one figure. TMates labels its plans “Medication Included”, Direct Meds says its price covers “your medication, doctors visits”, shipping and supplies, and the OMZO and TrimRx terms describe each price as including the consultation, prescription, medication and shipping.

The test is one question: if I am prescribed, what is the total charged to my card in a normal month? If the answer has two parts, add them.

Do GLP-1 programs charge a membership fee on top?

Some do, and a membership can keep billing when the medication stops. Eden advertised compounded semaglutide at $99 a month when we read its page on Sep 5, 2026, with a required membership of $39 for the first month and $99 after that, which brings the real figure to about $198. Its membership renews automatically although the medication is reordered by you.

JRNYS is a membership in its own right: the fee buys clinician access, coaching and insurance paperwork, and its cancellation policy says the initial telehealth fee is not refunded once a doctor has reviewed your profile. G-Plans works the same way, with a program fee that continues monthly until you cancel.

Programs that state no membership include TMates, Direct Meds, which says it has “no hidden costs or monthly fees”, and OMZO. When a fee is called a membership, ask whether it continues if you pause or stop the medication. Cancelling, pausing and renewals covers what each program’s terms say about that.

Why is the second month more expensive than the first?

Because the advertised figure is often a first-month price, and the terms state a higher one for every month after. Four examples, each from the program’s own page:

• MEDVi: $179 for the first month, then refills “locked in at $299”.
• TrimRx and OMZO: $199 for the first month and $299 for each follow-up; $349 then $399 for compounded tirzepatide. Both homepages still advertise “Starting at $179”.
• G-Plans: $99 for the first month “when paying in-full”, then $129 month to month.
• Wegovy pen, manufacturer self-pay: $199 for the first two fills for new patients through December 31, 2026, then $349.

Average the first year, not the first month. MEDVi’s compounded semaglutide is $179 plus eleven payments of $299, which is $3,468, or $289 a month. TrimRx and OMZO come to $3,488, or about $291. The first-month discount moves the annual figure by 3%.

Does the price go up when your dose goes up?

At some programs and for every manufacturer self-pay offer, yes. CareBareRX’s FAQ says “Price varies by dose and medication prescribed”, and it publishes only a “from $199” floor. Lilly prices Zepbound at $299, $399 or $449 by dose and notes that “2.5 mg is a starting dose and is not approved as a maintenance dose”. Lilly’s $449 price for Zepbound at 7.5 mg and above applies only if you refill within 45 days; after that the regular price is $499 at 7.5 mg and $699 from 10 mg.

Other programs state one price at every dose: TMates lists “Same Price All Doses”, Lttl says “Same price, every dose”, and JoinSkinny says the monthly price “stays the same regardless of dosage increases”. Those are the programs’ own statements; we have not tested them at checkout.

GLP-1 doses step up over the first months, so the dose you start on is the cheapest you will be on. Ask for the price at the maintenance dose. What GLP-1s cost in 2026 sets out the manufacturer dose tiers.

Are lab tests and clinician visits extra?

Visits are usually inside the price; labs are usually unpriced. Direct Meds says doctor visits, “normally $99/visit”, are included. TMates says bloodwork “isn’t always required, but may be recommended depending on your history”. CareBareRX says its doctors “may order screening tests” and gives no cost. G-Plans may ask for a metabolic test and publishes no price for it.

Two clinician-related charges are easy to miss. Sunlight charges an $80 clinical fee if you cancel after a clinician has reviewed your intake, treatment history or a check-in form. JRNYS charges $25 for a missed or late-cancelled appointment.

If a program requires labs, ask who orders them, whether you can use results you already have, and what it costs without insurance.

Is shipping really free?

Usually, but check the terms and not only the product page. TMates, Lttl and MEDVi state free shipping, Sunlight says its subscription “covers everything you need”, and Direct Meds includes 1-day FedEx or UPS shipping. G-Plans’ terms say the opposite: “You will be required to pay applicable shipping and processing charges”. JoinSkinny publishes its shipping timing but no shipping cost.

Returns can cost money too. Direct Meds’ terms say returned medication “incurs a $35 disposal fee”.

Does “per month” mean 28 days or a calendar month?

Often 28 days, which means 13 charges a year, not 12. Lilly defines a month of Zepbound as 28 days, and JoinSkinny ships every 28 days. Novo Nordisk defines a month of the Wegovy pen as one box of 4 weekly pens.

Thirteen payments of $299 is $3,887 a year; twelve is $3,588. That is $299, or 8.3%, that a “per month” comparison hides. Ask each program how many times a year it bills.

How do you work out the all-in monthly price?

Add five numbers for a normal month at your likely maintenance dose, then check the billing count:

• Medication, if it is billed separately from the program.
• Membership or program fee.
• Clinician visits and any required labs, spread across the year.
• Shipping and supplies.
• The ongoing price, not the first-month price, multiplied by the number of charges a year and divided by 12.

Worked example from G-Plans’ own page: $129 program fee plus $20 to $199 for medication is $149 to $328 a month, against a headline of $99. Worked example for a prepaid plan: TMates lists 12 months of compounded semaglutide at $1,900, which is $158 a month but is charged in one payment, and its terms give no refund once a prescription has been sent to the pharmacy.

The program cost calculator totals 3, 6 and 12 months for two options side by side, and the compare table shows each program’s ongoing price, whether medication is included, and the date we checked it. The DoIQualify quiz shows whether you may meet common criteria before you compare; a result is not an approval.

Compounded GLP-1s, which most of these programs prescribe, are not FDA-approved. Compounded vs brand-name GLP-1s explains what that means.

GLP-1 program fees FAQ

This article is informational and not medical advice. A licensed clinician makes every prescribing decision. We may earn a referral fee if you enroll through our links; it does not change scores or positions. Medical disclaimer · How we rankGLP-1 price list