Medicaid Fuels U.S. Coverage Of Novo, Lilly Weight-Loss Drugs

U.S. government health plans dominate the coverage of popular weight-loss drugs, far surpassing reimbursement from private insurers and employers, according to an analysis shared with Reuters, Chad Terhune reported.

State Medicaid programs make Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound available to 31.6 million people. I Photo: Eli Lilly

State Medicaid programs, which serve low-income families, provide the most extensive coverage, making Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Zepbound available to 31.6 million people, based on data from the AXIACI Obesity Coverage Nexus, a database maintained by Leverage Consulting.

This database monitors obesity coverage for roughly 80% of Americans with health insurance.

Additionally, 14.6 million federal employees and their dependents, as well as 6 million state and local government workers and their families, have access to these medications.

Combined, 52.2 million Americans are covered through government-funded plans.

In comparison, commercial health plans provide weight-loss drug coverage for 13.7 million people. However, this figure is likely underestimated because many employers do not disclose the specifics of their health plans.