Amazon Pharmacy offers Medicare weight-loss drugs for $50 a month
Amazon is adding automated eligibility checks, prior authorizations, billing, delivery and pickup as it expands access to Medicare Bridge Program obesity drugs through the end of 2027.
Amazon Pharmacy said eligible Medicare beneficiaries can obtain certain GLP-1 weight-loss medicines for $50 a month through the Medicare Bridge Program, a federal initiative launched last month to broaden access for obesity treatment. The company said it will automate eligibility checks, prior authorizations and billing, while offering home delivery and in-store pickup after patients add their insurance and Medicare information and a clinician submits an electronic prescription. Covered products include Novo Nordisk's injection or pill and Eli Lilly's four-dose Zepbound KwikPen injection and Foundayo pill through the end of 2027, though the program does not cover single-dose Zepbound vials or pens. Amazon said most patients in its Bridge Program received prior authorization decisions in under 24 hours, faster than the 72-hour timeframe allowed under the Medicare Bridge Program, and same-day delivery is available in more than 3,100 U.S. cities and towns, with expansion expected to nearly 4,500 by the end of 2026. The push builds on Amazon's April launch of a GLP-1 management program through Amazon One Medical as retailers compete to become a broader entry point for obesity care rather than relying only on prescription sales.
- GLP-1: A class of drugs used in obesity and diabetes care that mimics a hormone involved in appetite and blood-sugar regulation.
- prior authorization: A health-plan approval process that must be completed before certain prescriptions or treatments are covered.
- Medicare Bridge Program: A federal program designed to expand eligible Medicare beneficiaries' access to certain weight-loss drugs through the end of 2027.