Trump drops Biden proposal for Medicare to cover obesity medication

A combination image shows an injection poison from Zepbound, Eli Lilly's weight loss drug and car from Wegovy, which were made by Novo Nordisk.

Reuters

President Donald Trump has a proposal for the administration of bidges on Friday, medicare coverage of obesity medication, including the popular but costly GLP-1 treatments, such as: B. Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli LillyZepbound.

However, the centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated to rethink these medication in the future, as a FACT Sheet shows.

The proposal would have granted millions of more Americans access to these medication, but the government would have cost billions. Many health plans, including medicar, currently do not cover weight loss treatments, and some patients simply cannot afford their strong price tags before insurance.

Wegovy and Zepbound both cost around 1,000 US dollars before insurance and other discounts. A medication to cover these medication and other medication for weight reduction could cost 35 billion US dollars over nine years, showed an analysis of the congress.

According to the bid administration's proposal, only those who are considered to be obese -someone who has a body mass index of 30 or higher -would qualify for cover. Some people may already receive Medicare or Medicaid if they have diabetes or have a risk of stroke or heart disease.

The rule was not completed before Trump took office.

Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly did not immediately respond to inquiries about comments.

Lilly's shares fell by more than 2% in extended trade, while Novo Nordisk's shares decreased by more than 1%.