Medicare and Medicaid will not cover blockbuster drugs such as Ozempic to treat obesity, the Trump administration announced on Friday.
The Biden administration in November proposed allowing the public insurance programs to expand coverage of the anti-obesity medications but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services now says that is “not appropriate at this time.”
More than 7 million people would have gained coverage to the medicine, CMS said when it proposed the rule.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the class of weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s, arguing the obesity problem can be solved by improving Americans’ diets and encouraging exercise. Kennedy said in a Fox News interview in October that pharma companies are counting on selling the drugs to Americans because “we’re so stupid and so addicted to drugs.”
CMS had estimated the policy change would cost Medicare $25 billion and Medicaid $15 billion over 10 years. The drugs do not cure obesity and most patients must take them continually to sustain weight loss.
But Dr. Mehmet Oz, whom the Senate confirmed Thursday to lead CMS, has supported the drugs. “For those who want to lose a few pounds, Ozempic and other semaglutide medications can be a big help," he posted on Instagram in 2023.
A spokesperson for CMS said the agency may consider anti-obesity medications in the future after further reviewing the drugs costs and benefits.
Medicare already covers the drugs to treat diabetes and heart disease.
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