 Health Care |
Health Care |
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Trump officials reject Medicare coverage of anti-obesity drugs |
The Trump administration says it will not move forward with a Biden proposal that Medicare cover anti-obesity drugs such as Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Zepbound from Eli Lilly. |
The drugs have been shown to have numerous health benefits, but Medicare is prohibited from covering "weight loss" drugs for anything other than treating conditions such as diabetes or heart disease. Currently, only 13 states cover GLP-1 drugs for obesity under Medicaid. A proposal announced by the Biden administration last November would require Medicare and Medicaid coverage of weight loss drugs for people with obesity. To sidestep the restriction, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services said obesity would be considered a chronic disease. However, a final Medicare payment rule issued late Friday will maintain the current prohibition. The proposed rule drew nearly 25,000 comments, many of which urged the agency to move forward with the policy. But insurers were against it, because of the extremely high price tag — which also could have contributed to the Trump administration's decision not to enact it. Authorizing coverage of anti-obesity medications in Medicare would increase federal spending by about $35 billion from 2026 to 2034, according to the Congressional Budget Office. It would apply to about 3.4 million people with Medicare and 4 million people with Medicaid. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. previously said he thinks the drugs are a scam, and the solution to obesity is to simply eat better. However, he told senators during his confirmation hearing GLP-1 drugs are a "miracle" for obesity and diabetes. |
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How policy will be impacting the health care sector this week and beyond: |
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The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) announced Friday it will not be finalizing a rule proposed by the Biden administration that would have allowed Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries access to anti-obesity drugs such as the highly in-demand GLP-1 medications. In November last year, the Biden administration proposed a new rule that would allow drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound to be covered by Medicare and Medicaid, … |
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President Trump spared pharmaceuticals from the opening salvo in his campaign to transform the economy through "reciprocal" tariffs; however, the global drug market may still be hit by reverberations from trade wars. The White House listed pharmaceuticals as exempted from the tariffs in Trump's order signed Wednesday and set to take effect Saturday. Other exempted goods included copper, semiconductors and lumber articles. … |
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The deadly measles outbreak in Texas is continuing to rise, now approaching 500 confirmed cases with at least 56 people facing hospitalization since late January, according to health officials. The total number of cases has increased to 481, the Texas Department of State Health Services said Friday in a new update. On Tuesday, the total was 422. Officials in the Lone Star State also revealed there's been one fatality … |
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Branch out with a different read: |
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Democratic states sue NIH, RFK Jr. over canceled medical research grants |
Democratic attorneys general in 16 states led by New York and Massachusetts sued the Trump administration Friday over the cancellation of millions of dollars in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants for medical research. In March, the NIH began to terminate millions of dollars in grant funding for previously approved research projects, including projects focused on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), LGBTQ health, … |
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Local and state headlines on health care: |
- Colorado law meant to restore trust in funeral homes blocked public access to inspection report (The Colorado Sun)
- Sexual health education in Minnesota could change (MPR News)
- Lubbock, Texas public health director fights to stop measles and build public trust (The Texas Tribune)
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Health news we've flagged from other outlets: |
- Spring travel and measles cases collide (Axios)
- Deep cuts to HIV research could halt decades of progress, scientists say (The Washington Post)
- On top of layoffs, HHS ordered to cut 35 percent of spending contracts (NPR)
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Most read stories on The Hill right now: |
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Nationwide protests are set to take place Saturday in opposition to the Trump administration and its allies, with leaders vowing to stand up to push … Read more |
| A divided Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration by allowing officials to block $65 million in teacher development grants frozen over concerns … Read more |
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Opinion related to health submitted to The Hill: |
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