Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe Now
President Donald Trump’s administration has decided not to cover expensive, high-demand obesity treatments under the federal government’s Medicare program.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said late Friday that it would not cover the medications under Medicare’s Part D prescription drug coverage. Medicare covers health care expenses mainly for people age 65 and older.
Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, proposed a rule in late November after Trump won re-election that would have extended coverage of drugs like Zepbound, by Eli Lilly and Co., and Wegovy. The rule was not expected to be finalized until Trump took office.
CMS did not offer an explanation Friday for its decision, and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The injectable treatments have exploded in popularity due to the potentially life-changing weight loss that some patients experience. But many insurers, employers and other bill payers have been reluctant to cover the drugs, which can be used by a wide swath of the population and can cost hundreds of dollars a month.
Biden’s proposal was expensive: It would have included coverage for all state- and federally funded Medicaid programs for people with low incomes, costing taxpayers as much as $35 billion over next decade.
Proponents of the coverage have argued that treating obesity can actually reduce longer-term costs by cutting down on heart attacks and other expensive health complications that can arise from the disease.
Medicare does pay for drugs like Wegovy for patients who have heart disease and need to reduce their risk of future heart attacks, strokes and other serious problems. The federal program also covers versions of the drugs that treat diabetes.
More than a dozen state Medicaid programs already cover the drugs.
Trump returned to office in January. The Senate confirmed Dr. Mehmet Oz to lead the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services on Thursday.
Please enable JavaScript to view this content.
Bet if the drugs were hyped by the Wizard of (Dr.) Oz they would have been approved.
Lmao. These are going to be the most transformational drugs the world has ever known and per usual, the people this hurts the most are Trump supporters. But at least they get to own the libs
‘Cos obesity isn’t a drain on health or society…8647
The trump administration can’t see the forest for the trees.
The short term costs of Tariffs are worth it, (trillions lost so far)…. ?!?!?!
Billionaire oligarchs don’t need health insurance coverage or give a wit about people’s healthcare needs
It would be best for them if the common man returned to dying in their mid 50’s, shortly after their bodies became useless for manual labor.
“Party of Populists and the common man.” “the Democrats are the true oligarchs”. What nonsense.
They don’t even come around to brag about how their votes are working any longer.
RFK, Jr says to “just eat healthly” while at the same time they are cutting the very programs designed to help people eat healthly as fraud and waste. What hypocrisy from these politicians.
What ever happened to leaders that lead? These drugs are clearly transformative for individuals, and if it wasn’t for short sighted decisions like this they could be for society as a whole. Why does every Trump decision have to endanger my children’s future?
You don’t need drugs to lose weight, you just need to push yourself back from the table.
Okay, Anthony. I’m sure your opinion is supported by the vast majority of health experts. /s
Anthony…push yourself away from the computer keyboard. No…you can do it. Make that choice.
Obesity is not simply about eating too much. Its chronically a problem that requires medical attention for some people…You.Are.Clueless.
Wait, we don’t want to take tax dollars from the 47% who actually pay into the system and use it to “bail out” people who could have taken better care of their own health?
Take more drugs to address the lack of exercise and nutritional choices… brilliant!
JCB – get your facts straight – the % of people who pay into Medicare is WAY higher than 47%. It’s probably around 80% or more. And see Steven S.’s comment about obesity not necessarily being a lack of will power.