Medicare can pay for obesity drugs like Wegovy in certain heart patients
Medicare can pay for the popular weight-loss drug Wegovy — as long as the patients using it also have heart disease and need to reduce the risk of future heart attacks, strokes and other serious problems, federal officials said Thursday.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services issued new guidance that says Medicare Part D drug benefit plans — which are offered through private insurers — could cover anti-obesity drugs that are approved for an additional use.
The move could pave the way for thousands of new prescriptions, resulting in billions of dollars in increased spending, analysts have said.
In practice, the guidance opens the door to wider coverage of Wegovy, the brand name of Novo Nordisk’s obesity medication semaglutide. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration this month approved a label change that allows Wegovy to be used to reduce the risk of cardiovascular events in people who are overweight or have obesity and also have existing heart disease.
Related articles
Messi in and Dybala out in Argentina squad for pre
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) — Lionel Messi is in and Paulo Dybala is out of Argentina’s squad for f2024-05-21Alec Burleson snaps power drought with a 3
NEW YORK (AP) — Alec Burleson hit his first homer in almost nine months Friday night, a three-run bl2024-05-21Shocking moment father and son brawl with middle
A father and son were captured on video throwing punches at a middle-aged driver in a road rage figh2024-05-21Law & Order: Organized Crime is FINALLY renewed for a fifth season
Law & Order: Organized Crime fans can breathe a sigh of relief after the series was renewed for2024-05-21Nadal returns to Roland Garros to practice amid doubts over fitness and form
PARIS (AP) — Rafael Nadal returned to Roland Garros on Monday to practice and try and figure out whe2024-05-21First night of NFL draft averages 12.1 million viewers, a 6% increase over last year
DETROIT (AP) — The first round of the NFL draft on Thursday night averaged 12.1 million viewers on t2024-05-21
atest comment