A photo illustration in Chicago, Illinois, shows a selection of injector pens for the Saxenda weight loss drug associated with the Saxenda weight loss drug. The obesity drug Wegovy, developed by Novo Nordisk, has been found to reduce the risk of serious heart problems by 20% in a large clinical trial. This groundbreaking discovery could lead to increased pressure on insurance companies to cover the medication and similar weight loss treatments. As a result, shares of Novo Nordisk, Eli Lilly, and Weight Watchers International surged in value. However, it is important to note that there is still a long way to go before insurance coverage for obesity drugs improves in the United States. Although the trial results demonstrate the potential health benefits of these drugs beyond weight loss, organizations representing US insurers have stated that the data is preliminary. Concerns about the high costs of covering these medications, which can be nearly $1,350 per month for a single patient, also remain. Insurance providers will continue to analyze new evidence as it becomes available. While the data shows promise, there are still concerns about the high prices of these drugs. Despite this, drugs like Wegovy and Novo Nordisk’s diabetes drug Ozempic have gained popularity and attracted investor interest due to their efficacy in achieving significant weight loss. Eli Lilly and Pfizer are also working on their own weight loss drugs to capitalize on this growing market. However, coverage for obesity drugs varies among insurance plans, with some covering the treatments and others not. More health insurers are pulling back on coverage, leading to a decline in coverage for GLP-1 drugs since December 2022. The new data from Novo Nordisk challenges the belief held by insurers that obesity drugs are merely cosmetic rather than medically beneficial. However, the high cost of these treatments remains a significant barrier to increased coverage. The efficacy and cost-effectiveness of these medications are still being evaluated, and further data on their heart health benefits may be necessary. Despite these challenges, there is hope that increased competition in the market could lead to lower prices. Legislation has been introduced to eliminate the provision preventing Medicare coverage of weight loss drugs, but its fate in Congress is uncertain.
Insurers encounter challenging journey and expensive coverage costs
Denial of responsibility! Swift Telecast is an automatic aggregator of the all world’s media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, all materials to their authors. If you are the owner of the content and do not want us to publish your materials, please contact us by email – swifttelecast.com. The content will be deleted within 24 hours.