Medicare & Weight-Loss Drugs

Medicare & Weight-Loss Drugs

From The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services

New this month, Medicare is providing some people with $50 weight-loss drugs (GLP-1)s. That’s good news, right? But the benefit expansion runs only through Dec. 31, 2027, and it comes with the usual fine print. The devil (and fat loss) is in the details. Here’s more from The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), a federal agency that oversees Medicare and other health-related government programs.
Under the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, a time-limited demonstration, CMS is expanding access to innovative, evidence-based weight-loss treatments. Eligible individuals enrolled in Medicare Part D prescription drug plans will be able to access these medications at a predictable and affordable cost—$50 for a monthly supply.

The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge tests new approaches to care delivery under Medicare and is supported by CMS, including centralized processes for claims adjudication and payment to pharmacies. This structure allows CMS to expand access while working closely with providers, pharmacies, and other partners to support a consistent and coordinated experience for patients.

What to Know
Medicare beneficiaries with Part D coverage may be eligible to access certain GLP-1 medications at $50 for a monthly supply. Beneficiaries can talk to their doctor to determine whether a GLP-1 medication is right for them.  Threshholds relate to specific body mass index standards, health conditions and other factors. About 10 % of Medicare recipients would qualify under the current standards:

  • You have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or more.
  • You have a BMI between 30-34.99 and have at least one of these conditions:
    • Diastolic heart failure (also called heart failure with preserved ejection fraction)
    • Uncontrolled high blood pressure (also called hypertension)
    • Chronic kidney disease at stage 3a or higher
    • Prediabetes
    • A previous heart attack (also called myocardial infarction) or stroke
    • Blocked arteries in your legs or arms (also called peripheral artery disease) with symptoms
  • You have a BMI between 27-29.99 and have at least one of these conditions:
    • Prediabetes
    • A previous heart attack (also called myocardial infarction) or stroke
    • Blocked arteries in your legs or arms (also called peripheral artery disease) with symptoms

About the author

Marie Elium joined Mitchell Media in 2015 as editor of Northeast Ohio Thrive, formerly Boomer magazine. A freelance writer for 45 years and a former newspaper reporter, she believes everyone has a story worth telling. She resides in Portage County where she grows flowers, tends chickens and bees and Facetimes with her young grandsons. Marie can be reached at [email protected]

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