Medicare GLP-1 Program Offers Eligible Patients $50 Monthly Copay

Amazon announced that its pharmacy would distribute certain GLP-1 weight-loss drugs to eligible Medicare patients for $50 a month, Forbes Daily reported.

The Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program provides eligible beneficiaries access to certain weight-loss medications for a $50 monthly copay. [Photo: Novo Nordisk]

The pricing is part of the federal Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program, which began July 1 and provides eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries with access to certain GLP-1 medications for weight management.

The program runs through Dec. 31, 2027. Eligible beneficiaries pay a $50 monthly copay.

The medications covered under the program include Wegovy, Foundayo and the KwikPen formulation of Zepbound. 

The monthly cost of GLP-1 medications when they first reached the US market was substantially higher, with list prices for some treatments exceeding $1,000 a month.

The market for weight-loss medications is large. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has estimated that more than seven in 10 US adults are overweight or have obesity.