MedPage Today November 17, 2023
— Medicare coverage will catalyze market competition
People struggling with obesity have found hope in new injectable drugs. Clinical trial participants using semaglutide (Wegovy) safely lost 15% or more of their body weight, with similar results for other injectable glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist (GLP-1) medications like tirzepatide (Zepbound). Since more than 40% of adults in the U.S. are obese, another third are overweight, and the disease kills 300,000 Americans annually, these therapeutics have immense potential to improve the nation’s health.
But right now, Medicare doesn’t cover these drugs and many private insurers point to high list prices to limit access. Not everyone who could benefit from these treatments can get them.
There is a way forward. The federal government can...
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