Alexandra Svokos
It seems like you can get anything from Costco, including gold and silver, and members were excited this spring to learn they could also get access to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic through a program. Now, however, access to the program has changed.
Earlier in 2024, Costco and Sesame, a healthcare marketplace, opened a weight-loss program Costco members could sign up for. This came after Costco started offering outpatient healthcare services last year through its partnership with Sesame. Through that program, members could get prescriptions to weight-loss drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy.
In late August, however, Sesame announced the Costco weight loss program had "concluded," so no new people could enroll in it. Existing enrollees, though, are able to continue in the program.
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Costco and Sesame started the weight-loss program after finding that about one in five customer inquiries in their healthcare services was about weight loss, Sesame co-founder and president Michael Botta told CNN.
All other Sesame-partnered healthcare services with Costco remain the same, it's just that the weight-loss program is now no longer accepting new enrollees.
How much do weight-loss drugs like Ozempic cost at Costco?
The Sesame/Costco weight loss program, which is continuing in the same form only for existing members, costs $179 for a three-month subscription. The subscription includes a video consultation, prescription, insurance coordination for the prescription authorization, ongoing support and a lab order, if necessary. Sesame says existing members will continue working with the same provider and "there will be no changes to your program benefits."
Getting a prescription doesn't mean the cost of the medication is covered, however. The $179 subscription fee does not include the cost of medications. Members will need to check their insurance to see what’s covered. Without insurance, weight-loss medications like Wegovy, Ozempic and Saxenda can cost between $950 to $1,600 per month, Sesame said.
If you already have a prescription, whether through Sesame or another provider, you can always check prices with the Costco Member Prescription Program.
What other health services can you get at Costco?
If you're not an existing enrollee in the weight loss program, there are still ways to access healthcare at Costco.
Costco members can receive discount pricing on a range of healthcare services through Sesame, including:
- Virtual primary care for $29
- Health check-ups that include a standard lab panel and virtual follow-up consultation with a provider for $72
- Virtual mental health therapy for $79
- 10% off all other Sesame services, including in-person appointments
To start accessing care, you'll of course need to be a Costco member, and then sign up for an account with Sesame.
Does Costco's weight loss program save you money?
Taken together, the price to access weight-loss drugs through the Costco and Sesame weight loss program added up.
A regular Costco membership costs $65 per year, as of September, and then you'd add $179 for the Sesame weight loss program, and finally the cost of the drugs themselves. If you consider a cost of Ozempic of $1,000 monthly without insurance, it adds up.
But, of course, what this provides is easy accessibility, as you can get care (and a $1.50 hot dog) with your local Costco. Beware, though, that with the popularity of weight-loss drugs comes shortages to meet the high demand.
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