Zepbound for Weight Loss?

Ride along with a fellow normal as I get access to some of the same kind of medication celebrities and rich people are using for weight loss.

Why I Get Zepbound to Lose Weight

If you’ve ever tried to lose weight you know how it goes. I got started, I was doing great, and… then I got sick. And, then there was a special occasion, and then I got hurt, and then…

After being lectured by my cardiologist about how to lose weight — look, I’m 50 years old. I know HOW to lose weight. It’s just doing it. You know?

I decided to ask if I could have the new weight loss drugs.

How I Got Zepbound

Look if celebrities get them, it’s only fair that some of us normals get them too, “Am I right?”

Surprisingly, she went for it. I mean, she thought about how much overweight I am = a lot. She thought about how that might be (is) a major contributing factor to my high triglyerides. She thought about that test with me bordering on pre-diabetes (one away), and then she decided to use that medical degree for something other than telling me what I already knew.

She prescribed Zepbound, which is better than Ozempic supposedly, and approved specifically for weight loss, so I’m not a cheater like all those celebrities.

I Got Insurance to Pay for Zepbound

Apparently, insurance doesn’t usually pay for weight loss drugs. Cigna and United Healthcare and stuff aren’t interested in helping you have “hot girl summer,” or whatever you kids are doing these days. But I have crazy good insurance. How do I know? I have crazy expensive cancer and they pay for all that stuff.

Turns out insurance goes through the same progression as the cardiologist did. Are you really fat enough? Is it really affecting your health (especially in a way that might cost us more)? Is it medically necessary?

and finally?

Have you already tried an official weight loss program?

Ha hah, suckers!

Here’s where it gets kind of awesome. You see, at first my insurance company denied my Zepbound prescription like they do for most people. They said that I first had to participate in an official medical program to lose weight.

I didn’t know that was a factor.

Cool story, though. Just over a year and a half ago I got an unsolicited email from my insurance company (or on behalf of my insurance company) in which they offered me a free weight loss program.

Normally, I would pass on this kind of thing, but they offered a free digital scale and a free digital blood pressure thing. Both of these would be monitored by professionals who would help me with my journey.

Well… I LOVE free stuff. So, I said, “Sure. It’s your nickel. Send me your big brother scale and blood pressure thing.”

Long story short, I didn’t lose any weight, but I did participate… in the insurance company’s own program. Muh wah ha hah!

Zepbound Prescription Cost

Based on that medical information, they reconsidered and approved my Zepbound prescription. I know what you are thinking. “What does Zepbound cost?”

The answer is: I don’t know.

You see, while I am a normal in many ways, I’m not a normal in one very important way. I have cancer. I take cancer drugs. I do cancer procedures.

What does this have to do with how much Zepbound costs, you ask.

You see, when it comes to cancer, the only thing on your insurance plan that matters is the out-of-pocket maximum. So, each year, on one day, during the first month of the plan year, I do something that costs much, much more than my plan’s out of pocket maximum. It wipes out my deducible. It wipes out my copay.

All that is left is the out-of-pocket maximum. So, I pay whoever the lucky provider is a few thousand dollars, and then all my health care for the rest of year is free. (I mean, I still have to pay my health insurance premiums.)

This is a story for a later day, but I make paying the out-of-pocket maximum less painful by using a flexible spending account (FSA).

So, since I already paid out for Pomalyst, or whatever, my Zepbound is free.

Does Zepbound Work?

Does Zepbound work? Not so far, but they started me (like everyone) on the baby dose. I’m up to the 5mg does now, so we’ll see.

(I’ll be back with pics and stuff. Right now, I need to go because, ironically, we are going out to dinner for a special occasion. — why am I hitting publish if I’m not done? well, I need to link this to something else I already started. I also have ADHD.)