Summary
Medicare will now cover certain weight-loss drugs thanks to a deal between the Trump administration and drug companies Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk. This agreement reduces the price of these drugs and makes them available to more seniors and Medicaid programs, starting in mid-2026. The price cuts aim to make weight-loss medications more accessible and affordable for eligible Americans.
Key Facts
- Medicare will cover weight-loss drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and others under a new agreement.
- About 10% of Medicare enrollees will be eligible for these drugs.
- The new Medicare coverage will begin as a pilot program for seniors with specific health conditions.
- Medicare's cost for these drugs will be reduced to $245 per dose, about one-ninth of the current price.
- The savings from the reduced prices will help expand Medicare's drug coverage starting in mid-2026.
- Medicaid programs in all 50 states can access the reduced prices if they choose.
- Cash payments for these drugs will be available on TrumpRx, with prices expected to decrease over two years.
- Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk will have certain benefits, like priority FDA review, in return for lowering prices.
