More access to affordable weight-loss medications is coming this summer for adults on Medicare.
Starting in July, certain Medicare enrollees can pay $50 a month for specific prescription GLP–1 medications, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Medicare announced the pilot program for the popular weight loss medications on Wednesday. The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program will run between July 1, 2026, and Dec. 31, 2027.
The $50 co-pay is expected to cover medications in pill form and injectables that are FDA approved for the treatment of weight loss. Eligibility requires enrollment in either Medicare Part D prescription drug plans or a Medicare Advantage plan that includes prescription drug coverage. Clinical eligibility criteria must also be met for individuals to qualify.
Drugs used to treat obesity and for weight loss alone have not been covered by Medicare previously. Medicare‘s co-pay of $50 will be higher than the co-pay typically offered by private insurance companies, which is usually around $25 or less. There is no deductible, however, and the co-pay will still be less than the cost of the drugs without health insurance. Prices currently start at about $149 and can be higher depending on the doses.
“GLP-1s can be life-changing for patients managing obesity and related conditions,” Chris Klomp, director of Medicare and chief counselor at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said in a statement. “This demonstration is designed to make accessing those medications simpler, more predictable, and more consistent across the Medicare program, which means better quality of life for seniors and better value across the health care system.”