Medicare starts covering GLP-1 drugs for weight loss

(washingtonpost.com)

10 points | by brandonb 10 hours ago ago

2 comments

  • brandonb 9 hours ago ago

    GLP-1s will cost $50 / month for those eligible.

    To be eligible, you need either a BMI of >=35, or a BMI of >=27 and a set of specific health conditions (uncontrolled hypertension, chronic kidney disease, pre-diabetes, etc). You also can't be qualified for GLP-1s under Medicare's previous Part D coverage.

    In practice these criteria are narrower than they look. Of the 13 million Medicare beneficiaries with overweight or obesity, about 4 million actually qualify, because most are excluded for already having a diagnosis, like type 2 diabetes or sleep apnea, that covers a GLP-1 another way.

  • jauntywundrkind 7 hours ago ago

    yeah i mean, it would massively improve the total cost of care for a massive amount of people. it should probably be expanded, a lot, to save a ton more money in the long run.