In a significant development for patients at risk of heart disease, Medicare has announced that it will now cover the weight-loss drug Wegovy under Part D plans. This decision comes after the FDA expanded the approval of Wegovy in early March to include reducing the risk of cardiovascular death, heart attack, and stroke in patients with cardiovascular disease and overweight or obesity.
Wegovy is a GLP-1 agonist that helps in weight loss by reducing appetite and has shown to reduce risks of cardiovascular events by 20%. Previously, seniors had to pay out of pocket for weight-loss drugs like Wegovy as Medicare was prohibited from covering weight-loss treatments. Now, Medicare will cover Wegovy for patients struggling with weight and heart disease, but not solely for weight loss.
State Medicaid plans will also be required to cover Wegovy for patients with higher weight and heart disease risk, marking a significant step forward in expanding coverage for obesity treatments. Obesity doctor Angela Fitch believes that this move is a positive step in the right direction.
The new Medicare guidance could potentially expand the use of similar medicines if they receive FDA approval for additional conditions beyond weight management alone. Wegovy’s maker, Novo Nordisk, is encouraged by the new guidance but hopes to see coverage expanded for obesity medicines used for chronic weight management.
Overall, this development is a positive one for patients at risk of heart disease who can now access Wegovy through their Medicare and Medicaid plans for weight management and reducing the risk of cardiovascular events.
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