Costco offering weight-loss subscriptions to members
Story at a glance
- Costco is now offering its U.S. members access to prescriptions for GLP-1 weight loss drugs through its partnership with Sesame, a direct-to-consumer healthcare marketplace.
- Costco members can now subscribe to Sesame’s weight loss program for as low as $179 per subscription period.
- GLP-1 weight loss drugs include popular medications like Wegovy and Ozempic.
(KTLA) – Costco memberships now come with a new perk.
The warehouse retailer is now offering its U.S. members access to prescriptions for GLP-1 weight loss drugs through its partnership with Sesame, a direct-to-consumer healthcare marketplace.
The new program launched Tuesday.
Costco members can now subscribe to Sesame’s weight loss program for as low as $179 per subscription period. Non-members also have access to the subscription, though it costs $195 per subscription period.
“We are witnessing important innovations in medically supervised weight loss,” David Goldhill, Sesame’s co-founder and CEO, said in a statement.
Under the subscription, Costco says members are able to get access to clinical consultations (with consultants of their choice) for individualized treatment programs, among other features, according to Costco.
"When clinically appropriate, the clinician may also pair these interventions with medications, subject to their availability," reads a webpage outlining the program.
Costco first partnered with Sesame last fall when it began offering members a range of outpatient medical care for as low as $29. But the companies soon noticed strong interest from customers about weight loss programs, Goldhill said in an interview with USA Today.
GLP-1 weight loss drugs, some of which include popular medications like Wegovy or Ozempic, have also become increasingly popular in recent years, with more than 3 million prescriptions for the new medications dispensed each month in the U.S., according to recent data from the health technology company IQVIA. The drugs work by mimicking hormones in the gut and the brain to regulate appetite and feelings of fullness.
The injections can also cost upwards of $1,000 per month, making it difficult for patients to obtain long-term prescriptions, the Associated Press reported.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.