Becker's Healthcare February 25, 2025
In 2019, Medicare spent roughly $7.7 billion on 10 common diabetes drugs, including GLP-1 medications. By 2023, that amount reached $35.8 billion, marking a 364% increase, according to a new report from HHS’ Office of Inspector General.
Over the same time period, enrollment in Medicare Part D grew 12% from 44.9 million beneficiaries to nearly 50.5 million.
The report comes as the Trump administration weighs whether to move forward with a Biden-era proposal to expand coverage of GLP-1s for weight loss under Medicare and Medicaid. Currently, Medicare only covers GLP-1s to treat diabetes and heart disease.
The surge in Medicare Part D spending on diabetes drugs was driven primarily by higher utilization of Novo Nordisk’s Rybelsus and Ozempic, followed...
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