The cost of expanding US Medicare prescription drug coverage to pay for expensive, new obesity medications could be catastrophic, health economists warn in a report.
Big-selling diabetes drugs have been repurposed as obesity treatments after demonstrating weight loss of more than 20% in clinical trials. While they are far more effective than older drugs, lifetime use might be required to keep lost weight off.
Presently, Medicare is forbidden by law from paying for anti-obesity prescriptions. But should the bipartisan The Treat and Reduce Obesity Act get reintroduced and passed by Congress, Medicare will be compelled to cover drugs for weight loss. That amounts to nearly 20% of the total 2019 Medicare Part D spending, Khrysta Baig of Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and colleagues said.
The Medicare health program covers more than 60 million Americans, most over age 65. The authors point out that many people in the program have already incurred the health problems associated with long-term obesity, unlike younger populations typically included in clinical trials.
Malaysia Latest News, Malaysia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Economists Warn of Costs if US Medicare Covers New Obesity DrugsThe cost of expanding US Medicare prescription drug coverage to pay for expensive, new obesity medications could be catastrophic, health economists warned in a report published on Saturday.
Read more »
Opinion | Medicare needs saving — just not from RepublicansBiden doesn't need to save Medicare from Republicans, just unsustainable entitlement programs and our unwillingness to do what’s necessary to stabilize them.
Read more »
PolitiFact - No, Tammy Baldwin isn’t trying to take away Social Security and MedicareU.S. Sen.Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., has been a strong supporter of programs aimed at helping Americans after they retire, su
Read more »
What President Biden and Republicans are saying about funding MedicareNPR's Michel Martin speaks with Kaiser Health News correspondent Julie Rovner about the politics of Medicare ahead of debt ceiling talks in Washington.
Read more »
More Retiree Health Plans Move Away From Traditional MedicareBob Bentkowski, a retired New York City firefighter, has a rare, painful disease that caused his kidneys to swell almost to the size of basketballs. He needed a transplant, and in the fall of 2021, he found a donor after waiting for years — but he was unsure whether Medicare would cover his surgery. New York City has long provided its retired employees with comprehensive health benefits that pay for most of their Medicare costs. But with his transplant approaching, the city, and a coalition of i
Read more »
Fearing Backlash, Republicans Backpedal on Social Security and Medicare CutsTrump is opportunistically exploiting rifts within the GOP over the prospect of cutting Social Security and Medicare.
Read more »