CVS Health (NYSE: CVS) announced it will reinstate coverage of Eli Lilly’s weight-loss injectable Zepbound and begin covering the anti-obesity pill Foundayo for millions of Americans on private insurance plans.
Coverage of Zepbound will begin Oct. 1, while coverage of Lilly’s weight-loss pill Foundayo will start June 1 under the move.
Both drugs will appear on the standard template from CVS Caremark, a prescription drug manager used by insurers and employers serving millions of Americans.
A year ago, CVS Caremark struck a deal to make Novo Nordisk’s anti-obesity drug Wegovy a preferred GLP-1 medication without extending similar status to Zepbound.
Wegovy, now sold as both an injectable and a weight-loss pill, will remain on CVS Caremark’s standard plans “without interruption,” according to a statement from Novo Nordisk.
CVS said bringing Zepbound back to plans is “what our customers asked us for,” which is “affordability and optionality” in weight-loss drugs.
CVS Caremark becomes the third large pharmacy benefit manager to cover Lilly’s anti-obesity medications, joining UnitedHealth Group’s Optum and CIGNA’s Express Scripts.
Employers providing insurance benefits to workers are grappling with accelerating costs, with health care expenses for the average family of four reaching $37,824 in 2026, according to consultant Milliman.
Pharmacy expenses represent one of the fastest-growing segments of health care costs, increasing nearly 15% in 2026 due to spending on GLP-1 medications and specialty drugs, according to Milliman.
A survey by benefits consultant Mercer found 49% of large employers covered GLP-1 medications in 2025, up from 41% in 2023, while smaller companies were less likely to offer the coverage.
Novo Nordisk and Lilly have both slashed prices for consumers whose insurance plans do not cover weight-loss medications, with cash-paying customers able to buy drugs through telehealth portals, retailers, and TrumpRx, the Trump administration’s direct-to-consumer drug sales website.
CVS did not reveal specific pricing under the deal to reinstate Zepbound but said it “worked with the manufacturers to secure a more affordable cost.”
Lilly’s weight-loss pill Foundayo launched after receiving Food and Drug Administration approval in April, while Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy pill became the first FDA-approved GLP-1 pill in December 2025.
On May 21, Lilly released late-stage study results showing its next-generation weight-loss shot retatrutide delivered dramatic weight loss among people with obesity, with the company potentially seeking FDA approval later this year.
