Trump Administration Creates Temporary Medicare Program for Obesity Drugs

The Trump administration has created a temporary Medicare program to cover obesity drugs like Semaglutide for adults 65 and older, starting next month.

Kayana Szymczak for STAT

What is the new Medicare program for obesity drugs?

WASHINGTON — Weight loss drugs will be available to adults 65 and older in Medicare for the first time next month, thanks to a government program that’s supposed to be temporary. It may be difficult to end it.

Medicare is prohibited by law from paying for obesity drugs. The Trump administration is circumventing that law by making the drugs available via a demonstration program.

Initially, Medicare had hoped to push private Medicare insurers to voluntarily cover the drugs via a three-year program called BALANCE, which would have started following a short transitional period. But insurers balked, so the federal government is instead extending the transitional coverage program, called Bridge, until the end of next year.

How will the program impact Medicare's budget?

The move is significant, as it will provide access to effective weight loss treatments like Semaglutide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, to millions of seniors. However, the program's temporary nature has raised concerns about its long-term sustainability and the potential impact on Medicare's budget.

The Trump administration's decision to create the program has been seen as a way to address the growing obesity epidemic in the US, which affects over 40% of adults. Obesity is a major risk factor for various chronic diseases, including diabetes, heart disease, and certain types of cancer.

While the program is a step in the right direction, some experts have expressed concerns about the lack of a clear plan for its future. The program's extension until the end of next year provides some certainty, but its long-term fate remains uncertain.