State guide

Medi-Cal and GLP-1s

California wrote this one into the state budget and then executed it through the pharmacy benefit. Since January 1, 2026, Medi-Cal Rx claims for Wegovy, Zepbound and Saxenda reject at the counter. Two exceptions survived, and one of them opened up in April.

Every source on this page was read in September 2026. Each one is dated below with the date printed on the document itself.

All state guides

What changed, and what the document says

Point	Status	What the source says
Wegovy, Zepbound, Saxenda	Not covered	Off the Contract Drugs List since January 1, 2026. Approvals already granted expired the day before. “Claims for these three drugs will deny with Reject Code 70 – Product/ Service Not Covered regardless of indication, and previously approved prior authorizations (PAs) are deemed expired.” Medi-Cal Rx, California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) — January 1, 2026
Zepbound for sleep apnea	Conditions apply	The one surviving route to Zepbound. Prior authorization, case by case, for obstructive sleep apnea. “PA requests for Zepbound will be considered when used for obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).” Medi-Cal Rx, California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) — December 12, 2025; Last Updated April 6, 2026
Wegovy for liver disease	Covered	Opened up in April 2026, and it doesn't need prior authorization — but the claim has to carry the right diagnosis code or it rejects. “Effective April 1, 2026, Wegovy does not require an approved prior authorization (PA) when prescribed for the treatment of noncirrhotic metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH).” Medi-Cal Rx, California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) — December 12, 2025; Last Updated April 6, 2026
Ozempic, Mounjaro and the rest	Context	Seven other GLP-1s stayed on the list, locked to a type 2 diabetes diagnosis. None of them is a route to a weight-loss prescription. “The following GLP-1 drugs are currently on the CDL and continue to have a Code I diagnosis restriction of type 2 diabetes.” Medi-Cal Rx, California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) — December 12, 2025; Last Updated April 6, 2026
Under 21	Covered	A federal children's benefit still forces a medical-necessity review, even for weight loss. “Effective January 1, 2026, PA requests submitted for weight loss or weight loss-related indications will be reviewed for medical necessity for members younger than 21 years of age pursuant to the federal Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit.” Medi-Cal Rx, California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) — December 12, 2025; Last Updated April 6, 2026
Where it came from	Context	The enacted state budget, as a line item under pharmacy savings. “Specialty Drug Coverage for Weight Loss—Elimination of coverage for Glucagon-Like Peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs for weight loss effective January 1, 2026.” State of California, Gavin Newsom, Governor — 2025-26

Which of these companies serve California?

Of the 28 companies we grade, 4 publish a list of the states they are licensed in. We checked 23 more and found no such list on any page we read; 1 we have not checked either way.

3 of those lists name California: Gala Health, Care Bare Rx and Vita Bella. That is a licensure claim each company makes about itself, not something we checked with a state board.

A published list is a starting point, not a guarantee. If availability decides your choice, ask before you pay and get the answer in writing.

If you're paying cash instead

None of the above changes what a telehealth seller charges you. These are the graded reviews worth reading first from here:

Ro — Sells the brand-name Wegovy and Zepbound California just delisted, at $349 and $449 a month once the starter doses run out.
Zealthy — The gap between its advertised price and what month two actually costs is the widest we graded.
AgelessRx — Advertises $139 a month for semaglutide and doesn't publish a month-to-month figure anywhere we checked.

Our grading method and how we verify a price explain what those letters mean.

Sources

Each document below was fetched and read in September 2026. The date shown is the one printed on the document, which is not always the date in its web address.

Changes to Medi-Cal Rx, Effective January 1, 2026 — Medi-Cal Rx, California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). printed under the title on page one: January 1, 2026. Read September 2026.
GLP-1 Coverage Considerations — Medi-Cal Rx, California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS). printed on the document's second line — the URL path reads 2025/12, four months behind the paper: December 12, 2025; Last Updated April 6, 2026. Read September 2026.
California State Budget 2025-26 — State of California, Gavin Newsom, Governor. the fiscal year on the cover — ⛔ this document prints no publication date, so none is supplied here: 2025-26. Read September 2026.

Nothing on this page is medical advice, and nobody here is a clinician. Coverage rules change; check the linked document before you rely on it.