Insurance Won’t Cover Zepbound. Or Organic Food.
By Christopher Jackson, MD
We live in a healthcare system where insurance will cover amputations—but not the groceries that could prevent diabetes in the first place. Now, it’s happening again.
Zepbound (tirzepatide) is the latest GLP-1 receptor agonist shown to help with obesity and metabolic health. It’s a game-changer—improving blood sugar, reducing weight, and even lowering cardiovascular risk. But unless you have a diagnosis of diabetes or meet insurance company hoops, you’re likely paying out-of-pocket.
Ironically, the same insurers denying Zepbound also don’t cover the cost of healthy food—particularly organic or whole foods that could make weight loss medications less necessary to begin with.
Food Is Medicine, but Not in Our System
We’ve known for years that diet plays a critical role in preventing and treating chronic illness. Diets rich in vegetables, fruits, and whole foods reduce rates of depression, obesity, heart disease, and even some cancers (O’Neil et al., 2014; Willett et al., 2019). Yet the healthcare system consistently treats food like a lifestyle luxury, not a medical intervention.
The poorest patients are often trapped in food deserts, where ultra-processed, sugar-loaded, shelf-stable foods are cheaper and easier to access than fresh, whole options. And when they develop obesity or Type 2 diabetes, they’re blamed for a “lack of willpower”—then denied access to effective treatments like Zepbound unless they already have the damage of diabetes.
Zepbound Works. So Does Broccoli. Why Can’t We Cover Both?
Tirzepatide and other GLP-1 medications reduce appetite by affecting hunger signals in the brain. But similar neurochemical benefits can come from nutrient-dense food. Magnesium, fiber, and certain plant polyphenols have been shown to reduce inflammation and improve mood regulation (Slyepchenko et al., 2020). Whole foods improve gut health, insulin sensitivity, and even symptoms of depression.
Still, insurers don’t see food as “medicine.” So they don’t pay for it. And patients are left choosing between medication they can’t afford—or food they can’t afford.
Healthcare or Sick Care?
The refusal to cover both Zepbound and organic food reveals the truth: we don’t have a healthcare system. We have a sick care system—one designed to intervene after damage is done, not to prevent it.
Even when preventive solutions exist, they are financially inaccessible to many. And the result is predictable: widening health disparities, more chronic illness, and billions spent on preventable disease.
What Needs to Change
Food as Prescriptions: Programs that allow doctors to prescribe groceries—especially in underserved communities—must be expanded and funded.
Insurance Reform: Policies should cover evidence-based obesity treatments, including both medication and nutrition programs.
Equity in Access: No one should be denied life-changing treatment or healthy food because of where they live or how much they earn.
Zepbound is powerful. So is a healthy diet. Together, they could transform outcomes. But not if they’re kept out of reach.
