The high GLP -1 drug price, which is patented, means cheaper versions of a copy, has led to a discussion among insurance companies, said Benjamin Rome, a Harvard Medical School policy researcher.
Companies should decide whether to increase the insurance premiums, overall to cover the costs or give up the GLP-1 cover, he said.
Many decided not to cover them. Others have shut off the coverage of the patients as soon as they lose weight and reach the body mass index (BMI) below the obesity range 30 and above, D -Racil said.
When Dr. Cecil was on the GLP-1, using previous insurance, she said she did not afford to lose as much as she wanted to avoid crossing the BMI threshold.
“They will turn off the coating, saying,” Well, you no longer need. You have lost weight. “But of course, the reason they lost is that the medicine is,” she said.
Too quickly shutting down obesity drugs can also cause unpleasant cancellation effects and many gain weight.
State insurance faces a similar difficulty for costs when it comes to coverage of new weight loss medicines.
“Although, obviously said.
When Biden’s officials made a rule that requires Medicare and Medicaid to cover the drug against obesity, they did so after the election, knowing that there would be no policy, said Mark Fandrick, Michigan Michigan Director Design Insurance Center based on cost.
Last year, the federal government said Medicaid could cost about $ 25 billion and $ 11 billion to provide drugs over the next 10 years.
“How do we pay for it?” asked Dr. Fandrick.
The Biden Age Rule must pass the public comment period before Trump’s administration will eventually decide whether to move with him forward, experts said.
D -Resil said the government and private insurance companies may not be ashamed to get rid of the bill for such expensive medicines.
But she believes that the savings that occurred from the fight against obesity for millions of Americans significantly exceeded short -term costs.
“Five or ten years old, when we really see a great payment, because then we will really start seeing how down some of these more serious long -term complications,” said D -R Cecil.
“If anyone who needed drugs could afford and wanted to accept them, it would be a pretty change of games.”
