ProvaThe 5% your plan asks for at renewal
To renew Wegovy or Zepbound, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare and Aetna want 5% of your starting weight gone. Here's your line.
Your 5% line shows up here.
If your plan covers Wegovy or Zepbound for weight loss, the first approval runs out after a few months. To renew it, these three insurers want to see at least 5% of your starting weight gone.
What each plan says
These are the commercial policies for weight loss, as published by each insurer and read on October 21, 2026.
| Plan | First approval | To renew | Counted from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cigna | 8 months | At least 5% of baseline weight lost. Renewed a year at a time. | Your weight before any GLP-1 |
| UnitedHealthcare | 5 months for Wegovy, 6 for Zepbound | At least 5% of baseline weight lost, renewed for 12 months. Still moving up doses at 6 months? A one-time 6 more months. | "Baseline", not defined in the policy |
| Aetna | 8 months | At least 3 months on a stable maintenance dose, and 5% lost or kept. Renewed for 12 months. | Your BMI at the start of any weight-loss drug |
Two things before you count on this. Your own plan document wins over these policies, and plenty of employer plans don't cover weight-loss drugs at all. At UnitedHealthcare, this program only applies if the employer chose to add it.
Why your starting weight matters so much
Every percent is counted from it. Cigna's policy spells it out: the baseline is your weight "prior to any GLP-1". So at Cigna, switching from Wegovy to Zepbound doesn't reset it.
If nobody wrote it down before your first shot, there's no going back for it. So write it down, with the date, on a scale you'll keep using.
What counts as proof
Insurers ask your prescriber, not you. Aetna marks the percent lost as "documentation required". Lilly's prior authorization guide for Zepbound asks prescribers to document, for a renewal, the percent lost from baseline and how long you've been on a stable maintenance dose.
So the number that matters is the one in your chart. Bring your starting weight and its date to the appointment before your renewal is due.
Sources
- Cigna IP0816, Zepbound, effective September 1, 2026
- Cigna IP0814, Wegovy injection, effective September 1, 2026
- UnitedHealthcare 2026 P 1114-23, weight loss medication, effective October 1, 2026
- Aetna Wegovy PA with Limit 4774-C
- Aetna Zepbound PA with Limit 6192-C
- Lilly, Zepbound Prior Authorization Resource Guide
All read on October 21, 2026. Policies change; the linked document is the one that counts.