The Defense Health Agency (DHA) has implemented regulatory controls on weight-loss medication coverage.1
Understanding the difference between TRICARE plans and coverage is key to knowing how to counsel patients about weight-loss medication. There are different rules about how TRICARE covers these drugs based on your plan.
“People are taking GLP-1 drugs—like Wegovy and Zepbound—for weight loss now more than ever,” DHA Chief Medical Officer Dr Paul Cordts said in a recently released statement. “It’s important to understand how—and why—TRICARE covers these drugs, based on your condition and status.”
For patients who have TRICARE Prime or TRICARE Select, these medications are still covered in certain circumstances. Otherwise, if a patient has an approved prior authorization, it’s no longer valid, and other options should be discussed.
If a weight-loss drug isn’t covered, other options to include in a discussion may be:
- Nutrition counseling
- Lifestyle and exercise changes
- Other clinically appropriate approaches
Reference
- TRICARE Communications. TRICARE coverage of weight loss medications: what to know [press release]. August 5, 2025. Accessed August 12, 2025. https://newsroom.tricare.mil/News/TRICARE-News/Article/4266447/tricare-coverage-of-weight-loss-medications-what-to-know