Medicare spending on weight loss drugs may be lower than previously thought: Report

(By Rylee Wilson for Becker’s Hospital Review)

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. Continue reading here…

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