Does TRICARE Cover GLP-1 Medications?
TRICARE covers GLP-1 medications through the TRICARE Pharmacy Program, run by Express Scripts. The rules split cleanly in two. For type 2 diabetes, TRICARE covers several GLP-1s with prior authorization. For weight loss, TRICARE covers Wegovy and Zepbound, but only for TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select members: since August 31, 2025, weight loss medications are no longer covered for other beneficiary categories. Costs are far lower than commercial insurance, starting at $0 at a military pharmacy.
Reviewed by GlobalGLP1 Editorial Team • Updated August 2026 • Sources: publicly available coverage data
Medication Coverage
| Medication | Status | Tier | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ozempic (semaglutide) | Covered | Brand-name formulary | Covered for type 2 diabetes with an approved prior authorization. Not covered for weight loss, because Ozempic is not FDA-approved for weight management. If you want a GLP-1 for weight loss, ask about Wegovy. |
| Mounjaro (tirzepatide) | Covered | Brand-name formulary | Covered for type 2 diabetes with an approved prior authorization. Not covered for weight loss. Zepbound is the tirzepatide product approved for weight management. |
| Trulicity (dulaglutide) | Covered | Brand-name formulary | Covered for type 2 diabetes with an approved prior authorization. Listed by name in TRICARE's own pharmacy guidance. |
| Victoza (liraglutide) | Covered | Brand-name formulary | Covered for type 2 diabetes with an approved prior authorization. Listed by name in TRICARE's own pharmacy guidance. |
| Wegovy (semaglutide) | Varies | Brand-name formulary | Covered for weight loss with an approved prior authorization, but only for TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select members. As of August 31, 2025 weight loss medications are no longer covered for other beneficiary categories. |
| Zepbound (tirzepatide) | Varies | Brand-name formulary | Covered for weight loss with an approved prior authorization, on the same Prime and Select restriction as Wegovy. |
Prior Authorization
Every GLP-1 needs prior authorization before TRICARE will pay. Your prescriber submits the request showing the diagnosis and why the medication is medically necessary. The prescriber has to be a TRICARE-authorized provider, and the prescription has to be filled at a military pharmacy, through home delivery, or at a TRICARE network pharmacy. Use the TRICARE Formulary Search tool to pull the current form for the exact medication.
Cost Estimates
Savings tip: TRICARE pharmacy copays are set nationally, so the only thing that changes your price is WHERE you fill. Military pharmacy is $0. Home delivery is $44 for a 90-day supply of a brand-name formulary drug. A retail network pharmacy is $48 for just 30 days, so home delivery costs roughly a third as much per month. These are the 2026 rates, which rose 12 to 15.8 percent over 2025.
Requirements for Coverage
- TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select enrollment for weight loss medications (Wegovy, Zepbound). Other beneficiary categories lost this coverage on August 31, 2025
- A prescription from a TRICARE-authorized provider, including providers at a military hospital or clinic
- An approved prior authorization, for both the diabetes GLP-1s and the weight loss ones
- The prescription filled at a military pharmacy, through TRICARE home delivery, or at a TRICARE network pharmacy
- Documentation that the medication is medically necessary
Tips for Getting Approved
Fill through home delivery if you can. A 90-day supply of a brand-name formulary drug is $44, against $48 for a 30-day supply at a retail network pharmacy
Check the military pharmacy first. There is no copay at all there, though stock varies and GLP-1s are not always available
Match the medication to the diagnosis. TRICARE covers Ozempic and Mounjaro for type 2 diabetes and Wegovy and Zepbound for weight loss. Asking for a diabetes drug for weight loss is a predictable denial
Use the TRICARE Formulary Search tool before your appointment. It confirms the drug is covered and gives your prescriber the exact prior authorization form to submit
If you use a non-network pharmacy you pay the full price up front and claim it back afterwards, subject to deductibles and cost-shares. It is rarely worth it for a drug at this price
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, with an approved prior authorization, but only for TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select members. As of August 31, 2025, coverage for weight loss medications is no longer available for beneficiaries who are not in Prime or Select. The prescription must come from a TRICARE-authorized provider and be filled at a TRICARE network pharmacy, a military pharmacy, or through home delivery.
For type 2 diabetes, TRICARE's own pharmacy guidance names Trulicity, Ozempic, Mounjaro, and Victoza, each requiring prior authorization. For weight loss, TRICARE covers Wegovy and Zepbound, alongside the non-GLP-1 options Contrave, Qsymia, and phentermine. Weight loss coverage is limited to Prime and Select members.
It depends entirely on where you fill the prescription, because TRICARE copays are set nationally. A military pharmacy is $0. Home delivery is $44 for a 90-day supply of a brand-name formulary drug. A retail network pharmacy is $48 for a 30-day supply. A non-formulary drug is $85. These are the 2026 rates, up 12 to 15.8 percent from 2025.
No. TRICARE covers Ozempic for type 2 diabetes, not for weight loss, because Ozempic is not FDA-approved for weight management. If weight loss is the goal, ask your provider about Wegovy, which contains the same active ingredient at a higher dose and is FDA-approved for weight management.
Yes. Prior authorization is required for the GLP-1s covered for type 2 diabetes and for the weight loss medications. Your prescriber submits it and has to show the medication is medically necessary. The TRICARE Formulary Search tool gives you the current form for each specific drug.
The most common reason since August 31, 2025 is beneficiary category: weight loss medications are only covered for TRICARE Prime and TRICARE Select. Other frequent reasons are a missing prior authorization, a prescriber who is not TRICARE-authorized, filling at a non-network pharmacy, or asking for a diabetes GLP-1 such as Ozempic for weight loss, which is not a covered use.
Yes, and by a wide margin for a medication you take every month. Home delivery costs $44 for 90 days of a brand-name formulary drug. A retail network pharmacy costs $48 for 30 days. Over three months that is $44 against $144.
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