Cash pay
Also called: self-pay
Clinical reviewer: Elena Gizzi, MSN, RN · Last checked September 16, 2026
What is cash pay for medications?
Cash pay is paying the full price of a medication yourself, without using insurance to cover any part of the cost. Manufacturers market self-pay options directly to patients; NovoCare Pharmacy advertises its GLP-1 self-pay program as requiring no insurance, and Lilly offers Zepbound self-pay regardless of insurance status.
What does cash pay mean for a GLP-1 medication?
Cash pay, or self-pay, means paying a pharmacy or manufacturer's direct price for a medication instead of billing insurance for any part of it. NovoCare Pharmacy markets its GLP-1 self-pay option under the phrase "No insurance required" [1], and Lilly says Zepbound self-pay is available to anyone with a valid, on-label prescription, "regardless of insurance status" [2].
How does Measured price its cash pay programs?
Measured states its cash pay programs start at $119 a month, with both the medication and the membership included, and that they are inclusive of membership costs with no separate charges [3]. That matches the general cash-pay model described above: patients pay one price directly instead of billing an insurer for any part of it.
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This entry is for education and is not medical advice. Talk with a licensed clinician about your own situation before starting, stopping, or changing any treatment.
