White House proposes Medicare and Medicaid cover weight loss drugs

The Biden-Harris Administration proposed a new rule to expand coverage of anti-obesity medications for Americans with Medicare and Medicaid. An estimated 42% of the U.S. population has obesity, which is now widely recognized as a chronic disease, with increased risk of all-cause mortality and multiple related comorbidities such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, some cancers, and more, the Administration said in a statement. “Over the past few years, there have been major scientific advancements in the treatment of obesity, with the introduction of new life-saving drugs. These anti-obesity medications can help prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, these drugs reduce deaths and sickness from heart attack and other cardiovascular outcomes by up to 20%. But for too many Americans, these critical treatments are too expensive and therefore out of reach. Without insurance coverage, these drugs can cost someone as much as $1,000 a month,” it added. Currently, Medicare and Medicaid cover the use of anti-obesity medications for certain conditions, like diabetes. The new proposal would expand access to these medications for obesity, the White House says. The drugs covered would include Wegovy from Novo Nordisk (NVO) and Zepbound from Eli Lilly (LLY).