Sharing in case it helps anyone fighting BCBS right now. After two flat denials they approved on the third appeal once my doctor sent: 1. Documented BMI history (need 27+ with comorbidity, or 30+) 2. Failed conservative weight loss attempts (Noom and a registered dietitian both counted) 3. A letter of medical necessity referencing the SURMOUNT-1 trial The whole process took 4 months. Don't give up.
Picked up my Wegovy refill yesterday. Got home, opened the box, it's a vial labeled "semaglutide compounded" from a place I've never heard of. No phone call, no warning. I called the pharmacy and they said "oh we substitute when there's a shortage." My insurance was billed for the brand. Has anyone else had this happen? Pretty sure this isn't allowed but I want to make sure before I call my insurance.
Posting this because someone DM'd me asking. Decisions about food were exhausting me even when I wasn't hungry. Now I prep 3 "slots" Sunday and rotate: **Slot A** — chicken thighs, roasted broccoli, jasmine rice (~40g protein) **Slot B** — turkey meatballs, marinara, zucchini noodles (~35g protein) **Slot C** — ground beef taco bowls, black beans, salsa (~35g protein) Snacks are always the same: cottage cheese, hard-boiled eggs, jerky, string cheese. I don't miss variety. The decision fatigue going away is its own win.
SURPASS-2 update came out yesterday. TL;DR — at 72 weeks, tirzepatide 15mg outperformed semaglutide 1.0mg by about 6 percentage points on weight loss (~22% vs ~15%) in adults with type 2 diabetes. With the caveat that this isn't a head-to-head at the highest sema dose (2.4 mg Wegovy). But still — this is the cleanest comparison data we have so far. Link to the abstract in comments.
Insurance covers Zepbound but my copay is still $580/month. Found two discount options and I'm confused about stacking: 1. Lilly's manufacturer card: knocks it down to $25 if commercially insured 2. GoodRx coupon: shows $1099 cash price So manufacturer card is the no-brainer right? Anyone successfully use it month after month or do they cap it at a few uses per year?