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Obesity drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound have become popular for helping people shed the pounds, but their high costs have not made them affordable for everyone. President Biden put forth a proposal this week that's meant to help many who can't afford the life-changing medications. NPR's Windsor Johnston reports.
WINDSOR JOHNSTON, BYLINE: Biden's proposal would require Medicare and Medicaid to cover the cost of obesity drugs for those who qualify, but the plan will come with a hefty price tag. The Department of Health and Human Services estimates the proposal would add roughly $25 billion in Medicare costs and 11 billion for Medicaid over the next 10 years. John Cawley is a professor of economics and public policy at Cornell University. He says it's an expensive proposal but could end up being more cost-effective in the long run.
JOHN CAWLEY: By preventing and reducing obesity, you can improve people's health. There are a certain degree of cost offsets, meaning that you avoid certain medical expenditures in the future.
JOHNSTON: The proposal is likely to face pushback from Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who's a known critic of Ozempic, a diabetes drug also used for weight loss and obesity. Kennedy has proposed his own agenda that instead emphasizes eating healthier, increasing exercise and other efforts to fight obesity. Cawley says Biden's proposal will also address significant disparities in who receives the drug.
CAWLEY: It ensures that lower-income people in society have increased access to these latest and greatest drugs. Up until now, that's been a major obstacle.
JOHNSTON: Biden's proposal would significantly reduce out-of-pocket costs for the medications. According to the White House, a month's supply of the drugs can cost $1,000 or more. But it will likely be up to the incoming Trump administration on whether to green-light the benefit. Windsor Johnston, NPR News, Washington.
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