Becker's Healthcare May 16, 2024
Medicare spending on GLP-1 medications may not be as high as some estimates predict if coverage was expanded to cover weight loss, according to an analysis from data firm Intensity.
Federal law currently bars Medicare from paying for any drugs used for weight-loss only. Estimates of the cost of Medicare coverage for the drug vary. A study published in March 2023 estimated if 10% of people with obesity covered by Medicare were prescribed a brand-name semaglutide, this would raise Medicare expenses by $26.8 billion annually.
Another group of researchers estimated extending coverage of the drugs to all adults with obesity would raise healthcare costs by $1 billion each year.
Intensity analysts estimated the costs of Medicare coverage...
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