The Biden administration proposed a rule Tuesday that would allow anti-obesity drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound to be covered under Medicaid and Medicare for more Americans.
Millions of Americans are diagnosed with obesity, which is considered a chronic disease that can lead to serious health consequences like cardiovascular disease, stroke and diabetes. One recent study found three-quarters of U.S. adults are overweight or obese.
The proposal would increase access to the drugs for roughly 3.4 million Medicare users and about 4 million Medicaid enrollees, according to a White House press release.
But the late-term move by the Biden administration won’t take effect unless the Trump administration decides to make the rule final.
Trump’s pick for secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has publicly spoken out against anti-obesity medications.
Meanwhile, Trump’s pick to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Mehmet Oz, has spoken positively about the drugs in the past.
The proposal is also expensive.
It’s estimated it would cost the federal government about $25 billion for Medicare and $11 billion for Medicaid over a decade. States would pay around $4 billion for their share of Medicaid.
Some Democrats expressed concern over the price tag, and said the proposal would only work if the Biden administration managed to get drug manufacturers to lower their prices.
“We cannot allow Medicare and Medicaid to simply be a cash cow for Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly,” Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) said.
“Without addressing price gouging, today’s announcement only raises false hopes for many who need access to weight loss drugs. Compelling Medicare and Medicaid to offer medications, whose prices they cannot now negotiate, will only bloat spending—costing taxpayers billions, raising premiums, and threatening the long-term security and promise of Medicare,” said Rep. Lloyd Doggett (D-Texas).
