Some Medicare subscribers will be able to have weight-loss drugs covered by their plans.
The temporary pilot program launches on July 1.
It will allow Medicare participants to get GLP-1 drugs for weight loss by paying only a $50-a-month co-pay, The Washington Post reported.
Eli Lilly’s Zepbound injection, its Foundayo tablet and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injections and pills will be covered.
That means people over the age of 65 and younger people with disabilities will now have more affordable access to the drugs that can cost hundreds of dollars, CNN reported.
The coverage, however, is not permanent, as it is a pilot program scheduled to end by the end of 2027. The reason it is temporary is that federal law prohibits Medicare from covering weight-loss drugs, so President Donald Trump’s administration is operating it under a temporary “demonstration” project, the Post said.
It is not known whether Medicare will continue to offer the discount after the end of next year, the Post reported.
Participation in the program is also not guaranteed.
Patients will need prior authorization, with approvals expected in less than 72 hours.
To qualify, a person has to have a body mass index of 35 or higher, or 30 and higher if they have a condition such as heart failure, uncontrolled high blood pressure, or kidney failure, the Post said.
Some people with a BMI of 27 or more can also receive the medications if they have prediabetes, a history of heart attack, have previously suffered a stroke, or have symptomatic peripheral artery disease.
About 69 million Medicare beneficiaries already get the treatments, with “several million” additional expected once the program kicks off, CNBC reported.
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