Medicare Won’t Expand Coverage of Anti-Obesity Drugs

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced on April 4 that it would not start covering anti-obesity drugs for its beneficiaries. This decision was reflected in a final ruling, released the same day, that sought to modernize and improve Medicare Advantage, Medicare Prescription Drug Benefits (Part D), Medicare cost plans, and Programs of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly. It stated that it did not intend to finalize Part D coverage of anti-obesity medications (AOMs), without elaborating further. The Biden administration proposed a rule in November 2024 that would allow weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound to be covered by the two healthcare services, expanding access to almost 4 million Medicaid users and 3.4 million Medicare users....