WEIGHT MANAGEMENT
At WellKC, we understand how important it is to feel comfortable and beautiful in your own body. We also know how frustrating it can be to try to lose weight. We are here to assist and support you in your weight management journey! A healthy weight not only helps you feel better physically and mentally, it also helps to prevent chronic health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and even cancer.
To assist you on your weight management journey, we offer comprehensive evaluations, laboratory work-up, discussion and recommendations on medication and non-medication tools to help with weight management, registered dietician evaluations, and long term support. Schedule an initial consultation any time to get started on this journey together.
We get a lot of questions about our injectable medication options. We have included a lot of information about these medications below. You can schedule an initial consultation any time!
WellKC is based in Johnson County, Kansas, but we offer virtual appointments to adults (18 and older) anywhere in the state of Kansas. Text our office or request an appointment below for a virtual appointment today!
Weight Management Evaluations You can easily schedule an initial visit to discuss weight management options any time through our website or by texting us at 913-213-1352. During your initial appointment, we will review your health history, weight history, diet, exercise, etc. We may order laboratory testing if indicated. We will discuss diet and exercise recommendations and possible medications to assist you in your weight management journey.
Injectable Medications for Weight Management Injectable medications are currently very popular, mainly because they are very effective medications for a lot of people. These medications belong to a family of medications called either GLP-1 receptor agonists or GIP/GLP-1 receptor agonists. They affect different receptors in your gastrointestinal tract to help you get full faster, stay full longer, and curb appetite and cravings. They also help your body to utilize insulin and sugar in better ways so that you can respond better to a healthy diet and regular exercise. There are two main families of injectable medications. - 1. Wegovy, Ozempic, and semaglutide. These are all the same medication, just under different names. - 2. Zepbound, Mounjaro, and tirzepatide. These are all the same medication, just under different names. Each of these medications is a once weekly injection that you can easily administer yourself at home. See below for more information about each specific medication.
Wegovy Wegovy is a brand name version of semaglutide. It is the same medication as Ozempic or semaglutide. Wegovy is approved for use for weight management and is covered by SOME insurance plans. You can call your insurance provider and ask them if Wegovy is covered for weight management and they should be able to tell you and give the actual price that you will pay for the medication per month (even if a medication is "covered" your cost can still be quite expensive). Wegovy comes in 5 doses. You start at the lowest dose and increase each month as needed and as tolerated. Currently, the first 3 doses of Wegovy are out of stock in all pharmacies. This means that even if your insurance plan covers Wegovy, you will not be able to find it anywhere in the first 3 doses. Because of this, we sometimes have patients start with compounded semaglutide (see below) until they reach the 4th dose then switch to Wegovy.
Ozempic Ozempic is a brand name medication. It is the same medication as Wegovy or semaglutide. Ozempic is currently only approved for the treatment of diabetes. If your insurance provider tells you that Ozempic is covered under your plan, they (almost always) mean that it is covered IF you have diabetes. There are very rare cases in which an insurance plan covers Ozempic for weight management or sometimes for PCOS. More than likely, Ozempic will not be covered for you unless you have diabetes.
Semaglutide Semaglutide is the generic name for Wegovy or Ozempic. Again, they are all the same medication, and their names are sometimes used interchangeably. Generic semaglutide is available through some specialty compounding pharmacies. Compounding pharmacies use the exact same ingredients as are used in the brand name medications and follow all of the same FDA regulations. Compounding pharmacies do not accept insurance for semaglutide. It is currently available through our clinic for $300 per month. As mentioned above, we sometimes start someone on semaglutide and switch to Wegovy when we are at a higher dose if it is covered by insurance.
Zepbound Zepbound is a brand name version of tirzepatide. It is the same medication as Mounjaro or tirzepatide. Zepbound is approved for use for weight management and is covered by SOME insurance plans. You can call your insurance provider and ask them if Zepbound is covered for weight management and they should be able to tell you and give the actual price that you will pay for the medication per month (even if a medication is "covered" your cost can still be quite expensive).
Mounjaro Mounjaro is a brand name version of tirzepatide. It is the same medication as Zepbound or tirzepatide. Mounjaro is currently only approved for the treatment of diabetes. If your insurance provider tells you that Mounjaro is covered under your plan, they (almost always) mean that it is covered IF you have diabetes. There are very rare cases in which an insurance plan covers Mounjaro for weight management or sometimes for PCOS. More than likely, Mounjaro will not be covered for you unless you have diabetes.
Tirzepatide Tirzepatide is the generic name for Zepbound or Mounjaro. Again, they are all the same medication, and their names are sometimes used interchangeably. Generic tirzepatide is available through some specialty compounding pharmacies. Compounding pharmacies use the exact same ingredients as are used in the brand name medications and follow all of the same FDA regulations. Compounding pharmacies do not accept insurance for tirzepatide. It is currently available through our clinic for $400 per month.
PATIENT REVIEWS
