The drugs, which can be effective at treating and reversing severe obesity, can cost as much as $1,000 per month without insurance.
The Biden administration proposed a rule on Nov. 26 for Medicare and Medicaid to cover anti-obesity medications that were designed to prevent the development of Type 2 diabetes.
The study included 17,604 patients ages 45 and older who had preexisting cardiovascular disease and a body-mass index of 27 or greater but no history of diabetes.
Without prescription insurance coverage, the drugs cost as much as $1,000 per month.
Medicare and Medicaid currently cover these medications only for certain conditions, such as diabetes.
President Joe Bidenās plan would expand access so the drugs are covered for obesity as well, making them available to another 3.4 million Americans with access to Medicare.
The health plan would potentially reduce out-of-pocket expenses for these drugs by as much as 95 percent for certain enrollees. About 4 million adults on Medicaid would also gain access to these medications.
An analysis from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found that international prices for these anti-obesity drugs are already much lower than list prices found in the United States.
The new rule proposal continues Bidenās efforts to expand access to Medicare, Medicaid, and the Affordable Care Act since he took office in 2021. Through the Inflation Reduction Act, the president gained the ability to negotiate down the price of certain drugs covered by Medicare, including setting $35 monthly caps on insulin.
The Department of Health and Human Services also reached an agreement with drug manufacturers of 10 key medications earlier this year, lowering prices by between 38 percent and 79 percent starting in 2026.
Original News Source Link – Epoch Times
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