A new report estimates that Medicare would incur an additional cost of $35 billion over nine years if it covered GLP-1 drugs for obesity. However, half of the seniors who would qualify for this coverage already have access to the drugs for other conditions. Medicare is currently prohibited by law from covering weight loss drugs, including Wegovy and Zepbound, although these drugs are approved for other conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease which Medicare does cover. The Congressional Budget Office predicts that 29 million beneficiaries will qualify for weight loss drugs in 2026, despite the existence of generic drugs for other conditions.
Source link
Medicare already covers GLP-1s for half of seniors with obesity, new report finds
