AXIOS November 26, 2024
Ivana Saric, Tina Reed

The Biden administration on Tuesday proposed requiring Medicare and Medicaid to cover anti-obesity drugs.

Why it matters: The rule would expand access to medications known as GLP-1 agonists for millions of Americans struggling with obesity, who are at higher risk of diabetes, stroke and cardiovascular disease, according to a White House fact sheet.

  • The proposal could set up a conflict between pharmaceutical companies and Robert F. Kennedy Jr., President-elect Trump’s nominee for secretary of the Health and Human Services Department, who is an Ozempic critic.

Driving the news: Under current law, Medicare is barred from covering drugs for weight loss. That also makes it optional for state Medicaid plans, officials said.

  • The new rule proposes a “reinterpretation”...

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Topics: Biotechnology, Congress / White House, Govt Agencies, Insurance, Medicaid, Medicare, Patient / Consumer, Pharma / Biotech, Provider
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