Zepbound savings card keeps $25 copay in 2026 but pays less per fill

The 2026 Zepbound Savings Card keeps the $25 price for commercially insured patients whose plan covers the drug, but the card pays less toward each fill than it did in 2025 ^[1]. The terms, confirmed as of September 5, 2026, set the card's contribution at up to $100 per one-month fill and $1,300 per calendar year across 13 fills, down from $150 and $1,950 ^[1]. The card expires December 31, 2026 ^[1][2].

What the numbers say

For patients whose commercial plan covers Zepbound, the card covers up to $100 per one-month fill, $200 per two-month fill and $300 per three-month fill, with a $1,300 calendar-year maximum ^[1]. If the plan copay is $125 or less, the patient pays $25; a $500 copay comes down to $400, not $25 ^[1]. The 13-fill annual limit is unchanged from 2024 and 2025, and the counter resets each January 1 ^[1].

For commercially insured patients whose plan does not cover Zepbound, the card price fell from $650 in 2025 to $499 for a one-month single-dose pen fill, or $299 for the 2.5 mg KwikPen ^[1]. Twelve pen fills at $499 comes to $5,988 a year ^[1].

LillyDirect, the company's self-pay channel, lists $299 for 2.5 mg, $399 for 5 mg and $449 for 7.5 to 15 mg, provided the refill comes within 45 days; without that refill the regular price is $499 at 7.5 mg and $699 at 10, 12.5 and 15 mg ^[1][2]. The Zepbound KwikPen, a multi-dose pen, launched February 23, 2026 ^[1]. Each KwikPen holds 10 mg in 2.4 mL and delivers four weekly doses ^[1]. The self-pay KwikPen program allows up to 11 fills per calendar year ^[1].

The card still cannot be combined with GoodRx or other discount cards, and FSA or HSA funds can be used for residual amounts ^[1]. Medicare, Medicaid, TRICARE, VA and DoD beneficiaries remain excluded from the card ^[1][2]. Medicare enrollees have a separate route: the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge caps the Zepbound KwikPen at $50 a month with prior authorization from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027, outside the $2,100 Part D cap ^[1]. Medicaid patients are excluded from both the card and the Bridge ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

The effect of the 2026 terms depends on which path a patient is on. Covered patients with a copay of $125 or less still pay $25, while those with higher copays pay everything above the $100 the card contributes ^[1]. Patients whose plan does not cover Zepbound pay less per fill than under the 2025 card, but a year of monthly pen fills still runs $5,988 ^[1]. With the not-covered card price at $499 and LillyDirect at $299 to $449, the two out-of-pocket routes sit closer together than before, and the Medicare Bridge undercuts both at $50 a month ^[1].

Compounded tirzepatide remains an option some patients outside the card's eligibility use. A price index covering 14 providers put the median at $299 per 28 days at 2.5 mg per week, with a range of $149 to $470, as of September 3, 2026 ^[1]. Compounded products have not gone through the FDA approval process and are not interchangeable with branded Zepbound ^[1].

Whether the $25 price applies to a specific prescription cannot be assumed, because plans can change formularies mid-year and the card applies only to commercial coverage ^[1][2]. Pharmacies can run a test claim showing the copay with and without the card before a fill ^[1].

What happens next

The 2026 card expires December 31, 2026 ^[1][2]. Lilly publishes new savings card terms each January, and the 2027 terms have not been disclosed ^[1]. The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge runs through December 31, 2027 ^[1].