A useful yearly estimate needs more than a starting price multiplied by twelve. Count how many supplies you need, separate medication from membership, and include the ongoing rate after any introduction ends. Our September 15, 2026 review of selected public offers found an important distinction: a medication “month” can mean 28 days, while a care membership is billed monthly.
Gentle Health publishes this analysis and appears in it. This is an observation of public price terms—not an independent provider ranking, a market-wide survey, a quote, or a comparison of treatment effectiveness. Branded and compounded products are shown in separate sections because they are not interchangeable products.
The unit that changes the calculation
NovoCare defines a Wegovy pen month as one box of four pens. LillyDirect defines a Zepbound KwikPen month as 28 days. With once-weekly use, twelve four-week supplies represent 48 weeks; thirteen represent 52 weeks, or 364 days. That is supply arithmetic, not a dosing recommendation. NovoCare terms, LillyDirect terms
Do not automatically apply thirteen to everything: thirty tablets, a calendar-month subscription, and a multiweek shipment are different units. Ask the pharmacy how many days your exact prescription covers and the provider when each bill occurs.
Selected branded medication price observations
The following are observed medication-only self-pay offers. They exclude clinician or membership charges unless the source explicitly includes them. Program eligibility and a prescription are required.
Wegovy pens through NovoCare
| Pricing stage | Observed price | Supply unit |
|---|---|---|
| Eligible introduction | $199 | Box of four pens |
| Ongoing, 0.25–2.4 mg | $349 | Box of four pens |
| HD 7.2 mg | $399 | Box of four pens |
The introduction covers two eligible fills of 0.25 mg or 0.5 mg through December 31, 2026, not two discounted fills at any strength. Offers can change. We exclude tablets and HD from the calculation below. NovoCare
Zepbound KwikPen through LillyDirect
| Strength | Observed price | Supply unit |
|---|---|---|
| 2.5 mg, starting only | $299 | 28 days |
| 5 mg | $399 | 28 days |
| 7.5–15 mg with offer | $449 | 28 days |
The higher-strength offer requires the stated refill timing—within 45 days—and program eligibility. Without it, the page lists $499 at 7.5 mg and $699 at 10–15 mg. Pen needles are an additional purchase. The 2.5 mg starting strength is not a maintenance dose. Lilly also advertises the $449 higher-strength offer for single-dose vials; the table and worked example here deliberately use KwikPen, whose injection supplies differ. LillyDirect
Worked budgets, not prescribed treatment schedules
Illustrative Wegovy pen budget: two eligible $199 fills plus eleven $349 fills total $4,237 for thirteen four-week supplies. The twelve-fill version is $3,888, but covers only 48 weeks at once-weekly use. Both assume eligibility, unchanged future prices, and prescriptions within the listed standard-pen strengths. They exclude visits and other charges. These are scenarios, not promises about next year’s offers or your dose path.
Illustrative established Zepbound 5 mg budget: thirteen 28-day supplies at $399 total $5,187. Twelve total $4,788 and cover 48 weeks. This is a steady-price example for an already-prescribed strength, not a new-patient titration plan. Supplies such as pen needles and any clinician charges remain additional. We do not annualize the $299 starting dose as a year-long regimen.
The difference in these examples is one refill, not a hidden fee. The public offers disclose their supply units; the budgeting mistake is overlooking them.
This article’s job is annual budgeting across different billing units. Brand-specific cost guides answer a different question: what a particular product costs under its current offers. The examples here are dated assumptions, not a replacement for checking those offers before ordering.
Our Wegovy cost guide explains that product’s offers; the Mounjaro uninsured-cost guide explains why list prices and savings eligibility differ.
Add the care membership on its own clock
Ro and Hims each publish a $39 initial membership month and a $149 ongoing monthly option, with medication billed separately. Twelve consecutive monthly membership charges at those rates total $1,678 before medication. This calculation assumes continued membership and unchanged terms. Ro pricing, Hims membership FAQ
This is not their only possible offer. Ro also advertises prepaid membership options, including an annual plan displayed at $74 per month, and medication offers tied to multi-month plans. We do not calculate a first-year prepaid total because the payment timing and plan choice must be established for the individual quote. Hims also distinguishes its membership from separately billed medication plans.
Ro states that its $39 start is refunded if you are not eligible for GLP-1 treatment. The continued-membership example above is not a charge prediction for an ineligible applicant.
Both providers describe services included in membership. An added care charge is not inherently improper; it needs to be counted and evaluated as care, rather than mistaken for the medication price. We have not purchased either service or audited customer invoices.
Gentle’s compounded-program billing, separately
Gentle’s published prices vary by prescribed tier. The figures below are twelve monthly charges at one unchanged tier, not a treatment trajectory or a quote for a branded drug.
Oral compounded semaglutide
| Tier | Monthly charge | Twelve charges |
|---|---|---|
| Starting | $112 | $1,344 |
| Medium | $189 | $2,268 |
| High dose | $258 | $3,096 |
Injectable compounded semaglutide
| Tier | Monthly charge | Twelve charges |
|---|---|---|
| Starting | $135 | $1,620 |
| Medium | $159 | $1,908 |
| High dose | $199 | $2,388 |
Injectable compounded tirzepatide
| Tier | Monthly charge | Twelve charges |
|---|---|---|
| Starting | $169 | $2,028 |
| Medium | $219 | $2,628 |
| High dose | $269 | $3,228 |
The current program page lists medication, medical care, and shipping without a separate membership fee, billed monthly. Under our cancellation terms, you can cancel your order and subscription before the order is sent to the pharmacy. Once it has been sent, you can cancel the subscription 30 days after the order date. Cancellation stops future billing, but the remainder of the current billing month is not refunded. The semaglutide price guide supplies the dose ranges.
Changing tiers changes the total. These figures do not assert twelve months of continuous treatment will be appropriate, or that any particular tier will be prescribed.
Keep the medical comparison separate
Compounded preparations are not approved generic versions of branded GLP-1 medications. A lower quoted cost does not establish equivalent safety, effectiveness, or suitability. FDA describes the distinct approval and oversight status of compounded drugs. FDA compounding Q&A
Use the financial comparison after discussing suitable options with your clinician. Our explanation of why GLP-1 prices vary covers the broader pricing structures; this analysis focuses specifically on time units and arithmetic.
Frequently asked questions
Is multiplying a monthly advertisement by twelve always wrong?
No. It can describe twelve bills at an unchanged price. The mistake is assuming those bills necessarily cover twelve calendar months of medication and all related care.
Does this identify the cheapest provider?
No. The sample is limited, services and products differ, and individualized quotes can change the result. No winner is assigned.
What should I request before committing?
Ask for the exact product and dose, supply duration, billing dates, ongoing price, additional charges, and refill/cancellation commitment in writing.
Method and sources
We reviewed the public pages of NovoCare, LillyDirect, Ro, Hims, and Gentle on September 15, 2026. We transcribed the selected offers and calculated the stated scenarios. This is original arithmetic over published terms, not original clinical research or observed patient spending. Prices may change; verify again before using this article to budget. We did not model insurance, financing, taxes not specified by a source, optional services, gaps in treatment, or personalized dose changes.
Compounded medications are not FDA-approved. Treatment subject to medical evaluation.