Does California Medicaid cover GLP-1 drugs for weight loss?

What the state's document says

Word for word from the document, as archived on Oct 17, 2026.

Federal background

• Each state runs its own Medicaid program within federal guidelines, so eligibility and benefits can vary widely from state to state.⁶⁷
• Under CMS's voluntary BALANCE model, CMS negotiates GLP-1 prices and coverage terms with manufacturers on behalf of state Medicaid agencies that join.⁸
• States could choose a start date between May 1, 2026 and January 1, 2027; states that have not joined by January 1, 2027 cannot join except at CMS's discretion.⁹¹⁰ CMS's BALANCE page, as we last checked it, does not list participating states, so we do not say whether California has joined.

Self-pay prices and government insurance

The makers list self-pay prices for each strength; see every self-pay price, cheapest first. The official wording about government insurance differs between pages; read the offer terms before relying on a self-pay price.¹¹¹²

Next step

Ask Medi-Cal Rx or your Medicaid plan whether a specific drug is covered for you. The document above is what we checked; your plan may have newer rules.

Which drug, which dose, and whether to start, stop or switch are medical decisions. Ask your doctor or pharmacist.

Other states we have checked

• Arizona · Not covered for weight loss alone
• Maryland · Not covered for weight loss alone
• Michigan · Covered for obesity, with added limits
• New Jersey · Not covered for weight loss alone
• New York · Criteria listed only for non-obesity uses
• North Carolina · Prior-authorization path for weight management
• Ohio · Criteria listed only for non-obesity uses
• Pennsylvania · Not covered for weight loss alone
• Rhode Island · Not covered for weight loss alone
• Tennessee · Prior-authorization path for weight management
• Vermont · Not covered for weight loss alone
• Virginia · Prior-authorization path for weight management
• Washington · Not covered for weight loss alone

See the map of all states