Paying from cash or pre-tax HSA/FSA money costs the least in total; prepaying a longer plan lowers the price further when a provider discounts it and you accept its refund terms. A payment plan or personal loan only spreads the cost and usually adds interest. The calculator below puts the five ways side by side on your price, so you can see the monthly payment, the total and the interest before you choose.
Last updated: 2026-10-07 · First published: 2026-10-01 · Sources: IRS Pub 502, IRS Pub 969, CFPB · all checked Oct 2026
Tap a price from our table, or type your own. Prices are each provider's current month-to-month price; "prepaid" is its longer plan.
Tap a procedure, or type your surgeon's quote. These are ASPS average surgeon fees, which do not include anesthesia, operating room facilities or other costs (ASPS cost pages, checked Oct 2026); ask your surgeon for the full price.
How it works: a payment plan or loan finances the whole amount, with equal monthly payments. Origination and late fees are not included. HSA/FSA money is only for medical care: a medically necessary procedure may qualify, cosmetic surgery does not (IRS Pub 502, checked Oct 2026). Lowest total is marked; nothing here ranks lenders.
How it works: "prepay" assumes the plan covers the whole period and is paid at the start. A payment plan or loan finances that upfront bill (or the whole period if there is no prepay discount), with equal monthly payments. Origination and late fees are not included; your tax rate should be the combined federal and state rate you pay on the money that goes into the account. Lowest total is marked; nothing here ranks lenders.
Usually yes, when it is prescribed to treat a diagnosed disease such as obesity. IRS Publication 502 says you can include amounts you pay to lose weight "if it is a treatment for a specific disease diagnosed by a physician (such as obesity, hypertension, or heart disease)", but not if the purpose is appearance or general health, and it counts prescribed medicines as medical expenses. The IRS's own FAQ answers yes for HSAs and FSAs on the same condition (IRS Pub 502 and IRS FAQ on nutrition and wellness, checked Oct 2026). The IRS does not name GLP-1s or say anything about compounded versions, so ask your plan administrator before you pay.
Paperwork. For an FSA, the IRS requires a written statement from an independent third party showing the expense and its amount, plus a statement that it was not paid by other coverage (IRS Pub 969, checked Oct 2026). What your plan accepts beyond that, such as a letter of medical necessity from your prescriber, is the plan's rule, not the IRS's: ask for its form before you pay.
Use it or lose it. FSAs are generally "use-it-or-lose-it": money left at the end of the plan year is forfeited, unless your plan offers either a grace period of up to 2½ months or a carryover (it may offer one, not both, or neither). For plan years beginning in 2026 the carryover maximum is $680 and the salary-reduction limit is $3,400 (IRS Pub 969; IRS IR-2025-103, checked Oct 2026). HSA money is different: what is left at the end of the year carries over. If you have FSA money left this year, a prepaid plan or a refill before your plan's deadline is one way to use it.
Providers whose own site says they accept HSA/FSA payments: PlushCare, Embody, Collective, Trimi, HealthRX, Costco Pharmacy (Wegovy), Shed (formerly ShedRx), Raeliva, Foundayo (Lilly), NovoCare Pharmacy (Wegovy), LillyDirect (Zepbound) and TrimRx (each provider's site, checked Oct 2026; see "Ways to pay" in the price table).
They can spread one upfront bill if you are sure you can make every payment. Klarna, for example, says its Pay in 4 is interest-free when you pay on time, with a late fee of up to $7 per missed payment, and that its longer financing runs at 0%–35.99% APR depending on credit and is issued by WebBank (Klarna's US pages and Pay in 4 terms, checked Oct 2026). The CFPB warns that while many BNPL loans don't charge interest, "most do charge late fees", that your bank may add overdraft fees if autopay hits an empty account, and that most BNPL borrowers in 2022 had several loans open at once (CFPB, checked Oct 2026).
Deferred interest is the trap to avoid. With a "no interest if paid in full" promotion, if any balance is left when it ends "you would owe all of the interest back to the original date of the charge", and missing a minimum payment by more than 60 days can end the promotion early (CFPB, checked Oct 2026). A medication you take every month for a year is a poor fit for a short promotion.
Providers whose own site names installment options: Trimi (Klarna, Affirm, Afterpay), Shed (formerly ShedRx) (Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay) and TrimRx (Affirm, Klarna, Afterpay) (checked Oct 2026).
Rarely for compounded medication, sometimes for bigger bills. A year of compounded medication prepaid starts around $828, which is below some lenders' minimum loan amounts, while a first year of brand-name self-pay, titration fills included, runs $4,237–$5,637 and skin removal surgery costs thousands. SoFi lists loans from $5,000 to $100,000 at fixed APRs of 6.49%–35.49%; Upgrade lists $1,000 to $50,000 at 7.74%–35.99%, with an origination fee of 1.85%–9.99% taken out of the loan and terms of 24 to 84 months (lenders' pages, checked Oct 2026). Both say checking your rate is a soft credit check; completing an application is a hard check. Price checked Oct 26, 2026 · joinem.co; Last known price, Oct 22, 2026 — may have changed · confirm on NovoCare Pharmacy; Last known price, Oct 7, 2026 — may have changed · confirm on LillyDirect
Before signing, compare the APR, any origination fee and the total you will repay across at least two offers, and run the numbers above. A loan never lowers the price of the medication; it only changes when you pay. For surgery, see loose skin surgery cost, insurance and financing.
Yes, if you have coverage: with a commercial plan that covers Wegovy or Zepbound, the manufacturer savings cards can bring the copay to as little as $25 a month, which beats every self-pay option. If your plan said no, an appeal or peer-to-peer review is free to try; see what to do when insurance denies Wegovy or Zepbound or write the appeal letter, and on Medicare, the $50 GLP-1 Bridge. Last known price, Oct 7, 2026 — may have changed · confirm on LillyDirect; Oct 25, 2026 · medicare.gov
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Embody · from $69/mowith one-year prepay ($828 upfront)
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