TRICARE does cover Wegovy for weight management, but only for enrollees on certain plans, and several groups lost it on August 31, 2025. TRICARE lists Wegovy, Saxenda and Zepbound as covered weight-loss drugs for enrollees who meet its clinical criteria, have a prescription from a network provider and get a prior authorization[1]. The prescription must be filled at a TRICARE network pharmacy[3]. Commercial plans follow different rules, set out in is Wegovy covered by insurance.
Who is covered and who is not
| Group | Wegovy for weight? | What applies |
|---|---|---|
| TRICARE Prime (including US Family Health Plan, Prime Remote, Prime Overseas, Prime Remote Overseas and Young Adult-Prime) | Covered | Clinical criteria, network prescriber, prior authorization |
| TRICARE Select (including Select Overseas, Reserve Select, Retired Reserve and Young Adult-Select) | Covered | Clinical criteria, network prescriber, prior authorization |
| Continued Health Care Benefit Program | Covered | Clinical criteria, network prescriber, prior authorization |
| TRICARE For Life beneficiaries | Not covered | Full cost if filled elsewhere |
| Beneficiaries eligible only for care at military hospitals and clinics | Not covered | Full cost if filled elsewhere |
| Beneficiaries with NATO status or a Partnership for Peace agreement | Not covered | Full cost if filled elsewhere |
From August 31, 2025, the Defense Health Agency began applying revised prior-authorization criteria for weight-loss drugs, and three groups lost coverage[2]. Anyone in those groups cannot fill a weight-loss prescription at a military pharmacy and pays the full cost elsewhere, even with a prior authorization approved before the change[2]. TRICARE’s coverage FAQ adds, right after listing the excluded groups, that you will pay 100% of the cost even if you have an approved prior authorization[1].
Wegovy’s label covers weight reduction in adults and children 12 and older with obesity, and in adults with overweight and a weight-related condition[8]. It also covers cardiovascular risk reduction in adults with heart disease and obesity or overweight, and a liver condition, MASH[8]. TRICARE describes its coverage as for weight management under its own clinical criteria[1], and its formulary search shows the forms your prescriber needs[3].
TRICARE For Life and the Medicare Bridge
TRICARE For Life beneficiaries are on the excluded list, but TRICARE’s own answer points them to Medicare: from July 1, 2026, Medicare Part D covers certain weight-loss drugs under the GLP-1 Bridge[1]. The Bridge charges $50 a month, whatever your income, for Foundayo (tablet), Wegovy (injection or tablet), Zepbound (KwikPen only)[7].
It has its own rules. You need Part D coverage, you must not have type 2 diabetes, moderate-to-severe sleep apnea or fatty liver disease, and you must meet a BMI threshold, with or without certain conditions depending on the level[7]. The $50 does not count toward your Part D deductible or out-of-pocket limit[7]. The full Medicare picture is in does Medicare cover Wegovy.
What a covered fill costs
| Pharmacy | Supply | Brand-name formulary | Non-formulary |
|---|---|---|---|
| Home delivery | Up to 90 days | $44 | $85 |
| Retail network pharmacy | Up to 30 days | $48 | $85 |
| Military pharmacy | Up to 90 days | $0 | Generally needs medical necessity |
TRICARE’s copay depends on the pharmacy and on whether a drug is on its formulary; its coverage answer does not say which column Wegovy falls into[1][4]. Check the TRICARE Formulary Search for the drug’s status before the first fill[3]. Active duty service members pay nothing at military, home-delivery or retail network pharmacies[4].
If TRICARE will not pay
The maker’s savings card is not an option. Novo Nordisk’s terms exclude anyone enrolled in a federal or state program with prescription drug coverage, and name TRICARE, DOD and the VA[5]. Lilly’s Zepbound card excludes TRICARE the same way[6].
Novo Nordisk’s self-pay offer is a separate program: $199 for a new patient’s first 2 fills at the two lowest doses, then $349 a month, and $399 for the 7.2 mg dose[5]. Its terms let a TRICARE member use it only if they do not seek reimbursement from TRICARE and do not count the cost toward a deductible or out-of-pocket limit[5]. The full price ladder is in Wegovy cost, and the Zepbound equivalent is in Zepbound price.
If the prescription is for diabetes
The weight-loss rules do not touch the diabetes drugs. TRICARE still covers Ozempic, Mounjaro, Trulicity, Victoza for all patients to treat type 2 diabetes when medically necessary, with prior authorization, and says their copayments have not changed[2]. It also notes Trulicity has the lower copayment[1]. The two older weekly drugs are compared in Trulicity vs Ozempic.
The question to ask
Call the TRICARE Pharmacy Program and ask which plan you are enrolled in on its records, and whether Wegovy needs a new prior authorization under the criteria in effect since August 31, 2025. If you are on a Prime or Select plan, those two answers decide whether you pay a copay or the full price. What the maker’s card does for commercially insured patients is in Wegovy savings card.