Weight Loss Drug Coverage Will Not Pay For Itself, US CBO Affirms

 
• By Michael McCaughan

The US Congressional Budget Office acknowledged that weight loss drug coverage could drive long term savings from ancillary health issues, but not enough to offset the cost of the drugs. Expanding Medicare coverage would cost the US Treasury $35 billion over 10 years.

Even after assuming GLP-1 price declines, CBO still said costs would far outnumber savings if Medicare covered the drugs for weight loss. (Shutterstock)
Michael McCaughan

Read more by Michael McCaughan

Michael McCaughan is a founding member of Prevision Policy LLC, a leading provider of regulatory and reimbursement policy analysis for the biopharma industry. He was previously the Editor-In-Chief of The Pink Sheet and remains a contributor to the publication.

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