Month one versus month twelve
| Line item | Month 1 | Months 2–12 (each) |
|---|---|---|
| Medication | Introductory price | Standard price |
| Consultation | Often bundled | Billed per visit or per renewal |
| Program fee | Sometimes waived | Recurring |
| Shipping | Often waived | Per fill |
| Labs | Possible baseline | As requested |
The full cost stack
| Cost layer | What it covers | Why it is easy to miss |
|---|---|---|
| Medication | The drug itself, per fill | Advertised prices often assume a specific presentation or a savings offer |
| Consultation or visit fee | The clinician visit that makes a prescription possible | Sometimes bundled for month one, then billed separately |
| Program or membership fee | Coaching, app access, messaging | Frequently a recurring charge independent of medication |
| Shipping and handling | Cold-chain delivery | Waived on the first order in many launch offers |
| Labs | Baseline or follow-up bloodwork if requested | Often billed by a third-party lab, not the program |
| Refill cadence changes | Price changes when supply, presentation or savings status changes | The month-one price is not always the month-six price |
Use the calculator
Enter the fees a program quotes you and our cost calculator returns the twelve-month total, the effective monthly average, and how much of it is medication versus service fees.
Red flags in pricing pages
- A price with an asterisk and no visible footnote.
- "Starting at" pricing with no example of a typical total.
- No published cancellation terms.
- No statement of whether the medication is FDA-approved.
- Prices that only appear after you enter payment details.
Truvela does not prescribe, dispense or provide medical advice. We publish what things cost, where the numbers come from, and when we checked.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the true cost of weight-care treatment?
- It is the twelve-month total of medication, consultation fees, recurring program fees, shipping and any labs. The advertised monthly figure usually covers only part of that.
- Why do month-one and month-six prices differ?
- Introductory offers, waived shipping and bundled first visits commonly apply only to the first fill, after which the standard rate applies.
- How do I compare two programs fairly?
- Compare twelve-month totals with the same assumptions: same product, same fill cadence, all fees included, and the same cancellation terms.
Sources
Every figure above traces to one of these published sources.
- 1. Eli Lilly (LillyDirect) — Zepbound self-pay pricing and LillyDirect pharmacy solutions (Manufacturer, verified 2026-08-18)
- 2. Novo Nordisk (NovoCare Pharmacy) — Wegovy self-pay pricing and savings offer terms (Manufacturer, verified 2026-08-18)
- 3. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services — Transparency in Coverage — machine-readable payer price files (Government, verified 2026-08-18)