The VA GLP-1 criteria for use have 2 common gates: participation in a structured lifestyle intervention program, which the VA calls a CLI, and a BMI of 30 or higher, or 27 to 29.9 with at least one listed weight-related comorbidity [1]. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and hypersensitivity to the medication are common exclusions [1]. Liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide are nonformulary with criteria for use as of August 2024 [2]. The VA care team applies the current drug-specific requirements.
What does criteria for use mean at the VA?
Criteria for use is the VA's documented set of requirements for a medication. It is not the same as asking whether a medication exists in the VA system. The criteria describe when a clinician may consider the medication under the VA's formulary and prescribing process.
Formulary means the medication is included in the routine list for a health system. Nonformulary means it sits outside that routine list and has an added set of requirements before the VA care team can use it for the documented purpose. The oral weight management options are formulary, while liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide are nonformulary with criteria for use as of August 2024 [2].
The VA document identifies 6 medications FDA-approved for long-term use to promote and sustain weight loss. Liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide are injectable options. Naltrexone-bupropion, orlistat, and phentermine-topiramate are taken by mouth [1].
That distinction gives you a practical starting point for your appointment. If you are asking about an injectable GLP-1, do not stop at the medication name. Bring the evidence for the common criteria and ask which drug-specific criteria apply. The current VA source and your VA care team have the final word.
For a broader explanation of how VA weight management works, see the VA weight loss program guide. The coverage hub puts that guide beside the TRICARE and CHAMPVA rules, which are separate systems.
What are the common VA requirements?
The common criteria have 2 parts. You must participate in a structured lifestyle intervention program, and you must meet the applicable BMI threshold [1].
The VA calls the lifestyle intervention a CLI. It targets nutrition, physical activity, and behavior. The VA says weight management medications should be used together with a CLI, such as MOVE! or a community-based program that offers a structured intervention [1].
The BMI path works in 2 ways. A BMI of 30 or higher meets the common BMI threshold. A BMI of 27 to 29.9 can meet the threshold when at least one weight-related comorbidity is present [1].
The VA lists these examples of weight-related comorbidities:
- Hypertension
- Type 2 diabetes
- Dyslipidemia
- Metabolic syndrome
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Osteoarthritis
- MASLD
A BMI number by itself does not answer the full question. At 27 to 29.9, you need a listed weight-related comorbidity as well as CLI participation. At 30 or higher, CLI participation still remains part of the common criteria [1].
These are common criteria, not a statement that every veteran who meets them will receive a specific medication. Each drug has additional criteria of its own, and the VA care team evaluates the clinical record under the current document [1].
Which medications are nonformulary?
As of August 2024, the VA lists liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide as nonformulary with criteria for use [2]. Those are the injectable weight management medications covered by the fact set for this article. The oral options are formulary, which is a different formulary status from the injectable medications [1][2].
The plain-language takeaway is simple. Nonformulary does not mean the VA never uses the medication. It means the medication has an added criteria-for-use process. The VA care team must match the clinical record to the current requirements for that medication and its intended use.
The common criteria are only the shared starting point. The VA source says each drug carries additional criteria of its own [1]. The available facts here do not list every drug-specific requirement, so this article will not fill in missing details from guesswork. Ask the care team which criteria apply to the medication being discussed and which records they need.
That question is more precise than asking whether the VA covers GLP-1 medications generally. The answer depends on the specific medication, its formulary status, the documented use, the common criteria, and the drug-specific criteria. The official VA document controls.
If your appointment is about Wegovy, the VA coverage guide for Wegovy can help you separate the medication question from the criteria question. It does not replace the current VA care team decision.
Does MOVE! count as the required lifestyle intervention?
MOVE! is the VA weight management program for veterans. The VA describes it as an evidence-based lifestyle program that has helped hundreds of thousands of veterans [1]. It targets the same areas named in the CLI description, nutrition, physical activity, and behavior [1].
The VA says weight management medications should be used together with a CLI, such as MOVE! or a community-based program that offers a structured lifestyle intervention [1]. That means the relevant question for your appointment is not simply whether you have tried to change your weight. Ask how the VA defines and documents the structured program connected to the criteria.
Bring whatever participation record you already have in your VA health record. If you use a community-based program, ask whether it offers the structured intervention described by the VA. The facts available here do not specify a single required format for community documentation, so do not assume that an informal activity record will satisfy the criteria.
You can ask the care team to identify the exact CLI requirement in the current criteria-for-use document. That keeps the discussion tied to the VA's terms instead of relying on a general wellness checklist.
MOVE! is not a promise of medication access. It is part of the common criteria framework. The VA care team still evaluates the BMI threshold, any comorbidity, exclusions, and drug-specific criteria [1].
What exclusions and extra rules should you check?
The VA lists pregnancy, breastfeeding, and a hypersensitivity reaction to the medication as common exclusions for weight management medications [1]. Hypersensitivity means a reaction to the medication that makes its use inappropriate under the criteria. These exclusions are separate from the BMI and CLI requirements.
The VA also says each medication has additional criteria of its own [1]. The facts available here do not identify the added requirements for liraglutide, semaglutide, or tirzepatide individually. That limit matters. You can prepare the common eligibility information before the appointment, but you cannot determine the full drug-specific review from the shared criteria alone.
Ask the care team these focused questions:
- Which current criteria-for-use document applies to the medication under discussion?
- Is the medication being considered for weight management?
- How is CLI participation documented in the VA record?
- Which BMI measurement does the care team use for the review?
- If BMI is 27 to 29.9, which listed comorbidity is documented?
- Are any common exclusions present?
- What drug-specific criteria still need documentation?
The VA weight loss program guide explains the shared structure in more detail. For the appointment, the useful artifact is the current VA criteria-for-use document matched to the medication, not a general online list.
Here is the eligibility table to take into your appointment.
| Criterion | Exactly what the VA document says |
|---|---|
| CLI participation | Participation in a structured lifestyle intervention program that targets nutrition, physical activity, and behavior. Examples include MOVE! or a community-based program that offers one [1] |
| BMI 30 or higher | Weight management medications may be added at BMI 30 or higher when used with a CLI [1] |
| BMI 27 to 29.9 with comorbidity | A BMI of 27 to 29.9 plus at least one weight-related comorbidity, used with a CLI. Examples include hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, and MASLD [1] |
| Exclusions | Pregnancy, breastfeeding, and a hypersensitivity reaction to the medication are common exclusions [1] |
| Drug-specific rules | Each medication has additional criteria of its own [1] |
What should you bring to a VA appointment this week?
Start with the exact reason for the visit. Write down the medication name you want to discuss, such as liraglutide, semaglutide, or tirzepatide. The VA treats the injectable options as nonformulary with criteria for use as of August 2024 [2].
Bring the BMI information available in your VA record and identify which path you may be asking about. If your BMI is 30 or higher, the common BMI threshold is present. If it is 27 to 29.9, bring the name of the documented weight-related comorbidity that may satisfy the additional requirement [1].
Bring evidence of CLI participation. If that is MOVE!, ask the care team to confirm the participation record. If it is a community-based program, bring the program information and ask how the VA wants that participation documented. The VA source supports either MOVE! or a community-based program that offers a structured lifestyle intervention [1].
Finally, ask for the current drug-specific criteria. The shared requirements do not contain every medication-specific rule. A complete appointment discussion needs both the common criteria and the added requirements for the medication under consideration [1].
What to do next
- Write the medication name for your VA appointment, liraglutide, semaglutide, or tirzepatide.
- Check your VA record for the current BMI information.
- Mark whether your BMI is 30 or higher, or 27 to 29.9 with a listed weight-related comorbidity [1].
- Pull your MOVE! participation record or the information for your community-based structured lifestyle program [1].
- Note any documented hypertension, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, obstructive sleep apnea, osteoarthritis, or MASLD [1].
- Review the common exclusions, pregnancy, breastfeeding, and hypersensitivity to the medication [1].
- Ask the VA care team which current drug-specific criteria apply.
- Ask how the care team will document the CLI, BMI, comorbidity, and exclusion review.
- Compare the answer with the coverage hub and the current VA source before relying on an older criteria list.
Sources
- VA PBM Academic Detailing, Weight Management A VA Clinician Summary (2025), common criteria, CLI, MOVE!, BMI thresholds, comorbidities, exclusions, and medication list, accessed 2026-08-01, https://www.pbm.va.gov/PBM/AcademicDetailingService/Documents/508/IB10-1784_WeightMgmt-ClinicianSummary_P97235.pdf
- U.S. Medicine, 2025 Compendium of Federal Medicine, VA nonformulary status for liraglutide, semaglutide, and tirzepatide as of August 2024, accessed 2026-08-01, https://www.usmedicine.com/2025-compendium-of-federal-medicine/determining-what-weight-loss-medications-are-best-for-veterans/