Medicare has begun covering popular GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, making them more affordable for millions of older adults. The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge is a temporary pilot program that allows eligible Medicare recipients to get medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for $50 a month.
Eligibility and Requirements
To be eligible for the program, Medicare recipients must meet certain requirements. The program is a workaround to give Medicare recipients quicker access to the medications, as current federal law doesn’t allow Medicare Part D to cover medications prescribed purely for weight loss.
GLP-1 drugs are effective at helping people lose weight by reducing appetite and cravings. However, they can also cost hundreds of dollars a month without insurance. The government is trying out a “short-term demonstration” to test access to GLP-1 drugs for Medicare recipients.
Many people in the Medicare population probably stand to experience substantial benefit from these drugs, says Dr. Harlan Krumholz, a cardiologist and professor at the Yale School of Medicine. The new program will operate outside of Medicare Part D and is scheduled to end on Dec. 31, 2027, while longer term solutions are being discussed.
Original reporting: NBC10 Boston — read the source article.
