Plan to Cover Anti-Obesity Drugs Through Medicare Rejected by Trump Administration

The Trump administration recently declined to finalize portions of a rule proposed by the Biden administration in November 2024 for Medicare coverage of obesity drugs, such as GLP-1 medications Wegovy and Zepbound. Medicare does cover weight-loss drugs for conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, some states cover weight loss drugs in their Medicaid programs. An October 2024 report by the Congressional Budget Office, warned that authorizing these anti-obesity treatments for Medicare coverage would increase federal spending by approximately $35 billion from 2026 to 2034, while the total savings from improved health would be small, totaling under $50 million in 2026 and around $1 billion in 2034.

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Joseph M. Gorrell | 973.403.3112 | jgorrell@bracheichler.com
Jonathan J. Walzman | 973.403.3120 | jwalzman@bracheichler.com
Paul DeMartino, Jr. | 973.364.5228 | pdemartino@ bracheichler.com