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RFK Jr. drops plan to have Medicare, Medicaid cover weight loss drugs

NOLA Dude

NOLA Dude

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The health secretary says better diet and exercise will keep Americans trim.

Medicare and Medicaid will not cover blockbuster drugs such as Ozempic to treat obesity, the Trump administration announced on Friday.

The Biden administration in November proposed allowing the public insurance programs to expand coverage of the anti-obesity medications but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services now says that is “not appropriate at this time.”

More than 7 million people would have gained coverage to the medicine, CMS said when it proposed the rule.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the class of weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s, arguing the obesity problem can be solved by improving Americans’ diets and encouraging exercise. Kennedy said in a Fox News interview in October that pharma companies are counting on selling the drugs to Americans because “we’re so stupid and so addicted to drugs.”

CMS had estimated the policy change would cost Medicare $25 billion and Medicaid $15 billion over 10 years. The drugs do not cure obesity and most patients must take them continually to sustain weight loss.

Another excellent decision by RFK. This wouldn't have done anything other than enrich the big pharma companies. Also the GLP 1 medications have serious side effects like gut paralysis, decreased heart muscle, decreased bone density and loss of vision.
 
Another voice of reason which is lacking from the big pharma shills



We don’t have a willpower problem—we have a system problem that treats symptoms instead of root causes.

Let’s get diet and lifestyle interventions reimbursed and prioritized first.

It’s time for a #FoodFix.
 
NOLA Dude said:
Another voice of reason which is lacking from the big pharma shills



We don’t have a willpower problem—we have a system problem that treats symptoms instead of root causes.

Let’s get diet and lifestyle interventions reimbursed and prioritized first.

It’s time for a #FoodFix.
Click to expand...

How much is Ozempic/Rebelsus right now in US anyways? I get it for around 90 Eu a month right now without any government assistance just cause I wanted to test it out to loose weight. And it works actually with no side effects plus kinda good as diabetis profelactic that runs in my family just for the future.
 
JohnRawls said:
Okay, not gonna lie this made me laugh. American problems require classical american solutions. Why buy European when you have your own...
Click to expand...
It is hard to properly explain the glory of the USA to outsiders.

Imagine the largest train derailment you can think of, right in the middle of town. And everyone's laughing. Even the ones going underneath the cars. Especially the ones going under the cars.

I was born here, but I was raised in Canada and moved back at about age 12. And I instantly realized that drugs were not only good for me, but they were the ONLY things that were good for me.
 
Hamish Howl said:
It is hard to properly explain the glory of the USA to outsiders.

Imagine the largest train derailment you can think of, right in the middle of town. And everyone's laughing. Even the ones going underneath the cars. Especially the ones going under the cars.

I was born here, but I was raised in Canada and moved back at about age 12. And I instantly realized that drugs were not only good for me, but they were the ONLY things that were good for me.
Click to expand...
Oh I get it to some degree, I have friends and acquaintances all over the US from Florida to Texas to NY to Alaska that I keep in touch with.

My Alaskan forum friend from the other forum is an outright communist. My Texas/Florida aquintance is a liberal/centrist. My godfather that lives in NY since forever now seems to be a Trump supporter.
 
JohnRawls said:
Oh I get it to some degree, I have friends and acquaintances all over the US from Florida to Texas to NY to Alaska that I keep in touch with.

My Alaskan forum friend from the other forum is an outright communist. My Texas/Florida aquintance is a liberal/centrist. My godfather that lives in NY since forever now seems to be a Trump supporter.
Click to expand...
Also, the train's engineer is telling everyone how train wrecks make America great.
 
JohnRawls said:
How much is Ozempic/Rebelsus right now in US anyways? I get it for around 90 Eu a month right now without any government assistance just cause I wanted to test it out to loose weight. And it works actually with no side effects plus kinda good as diabetis profelactic that runs in my family just for the future.
Click to expand...
Grok:

List Price (Without Insurance): In the US, the list price set by Novo Nordisk for a 28-day supply of Ozempic (depending on dosage, e.g., 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg) is around $936 to $970. This is the baseline cost before any discounts, insurance, or rebates.

With Insurance or Discounts: If you have commercial insurance and are eligible, Novo Nordisk’s Savings Card can reduce the cost to as little as $25 for a 1-, 2-, or 3-month supply, with a cap at $150 per 28-day supply. Without insurance, out-of-pocket costs can range from $900 to $1,368 per month at pharmacies, though discount programs like GoodRx or Optum Perks might lower this to around $906.54 or slightly less.

Price Gap: The US has some of the highest prices for Ozempic globally, often 5 to 10 times more than in countries like Germany, the UK, or Canada. This disparity has been a topic of discussion on X and in news reports, with many attributing it to the lack of price controls in the US, high drug company profits, and insurance complexities.


Be careful. They have a lot of serious side effects.
 
Hamish Howl said:
Also, the train's engineer is telling everyone how train wrecks make America great.
Click to expand...

Not far from the truth, he works in one of the majestic 7 or is it 8 nowadays that are hit the hardest by Trump shenanigans.
 
Ah, Americans will do everything to lower their own living standard versus trying to improve it, as if they did that, that means someone else would get the same treatment. And THAT is socialism! That's very bad, screw all of you!
 
NOLA Dude said:
Grok:

List Price (Without Insurance): In the US, the list price set by Novo Nordisk for a 28-day supply of Ozempic (depending on dosage, e.g., 0.25 mg, 0.5 mg, 1 mg, or 2 mg) is around $936 to $970. This is the baseline cost before any discounts, insurance, or rebates.

With Insurance or Discounts: If you have commercial insurance and are eligible, Novo Nordisk’s Savings Card can reduce the cost to as little as $25 for a 1-, 2-, or 3-month supply, with a cap at $150 per 28-day supply. Without insurance, out-of-pocket costs can range from $900 to $1,368 per month at pharmacies, though discount programs like GoodRx or Optum Perks might lower this to around $906.54 or slightly less.

Price Gap: The US has some of the highest prices for Ozempic globally, often 5 to 10 times more than in countries like Germany, the UK, or Canada. This disparity has been a topic of discussion on X and in news reports, with many attributing it to the lack of price controls in the US, high drug company profits, and insurance complexities.


Be careful. They have a lot of serious side effects.
Click to expand...
So you pay 10x more than me for it when the actual production price is like 10 bucks and the shipment price is like 2-5$ to US. Alright.

It is cool that we European are making 10x profit here in Europe and 100x in US.

USA USA USA USA
 
JohnRawls said:
So you pay 10x more than me for it when the actual production price is like 10 bucks and the shipment price is like 2-5$ to US. Alright.

It is cool that we European are making 10x profit here in Europe and 100x in US.

USA USA USA USA
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That's because our government has let them rip us off by us paying way more than other countries.
 
So, will Medicare cover Ozempic if it is being prescribed for its original indication? Controlling type 2 diabetes? Remember, the weight loss was originally simply a side effect.
 
Stealers Wheel said:
So, will Medicare cover Ozempic if it is being prescribed for its original indication? Controlling type 2 diabetes? Remember, the weight loss was originally simply a side effect.
Click to expand...
Yes it's covered for diabetes, but not for weight loss.
 
It's just one horrible decision after another with this lunatic. I'd explain why it's horrible, but everyone should already know.
 


No good will come of this ongoing strategic interplay between the food and pharmaceutical industries. We need to continue fighting back against this madness personally and politically - don't get complacent simply because we got @RobertKennedyJr confirmed.
 
slavablueberryjam said:
It's because you're dumb. Taxpayer money funded a lot of these pharmaceutical drugs. The taxpayer, in return, gets screwed over financially. It's a return to barons, nobles, etc, but done by Americans.
Click to expand...

I don't get it why are you even complaining. I had a post about the US healthcare in another topic but the bottom line of it is:

1) It is 20-25% of your GDP with the inflated prices so its a GDP booster.
2) HealthCare's main goal in the US is not extending life/increasing human capital intensity and instead it is capital accumulation.

From that angle it is perfectly fine to deny access to healthcare or coverage and not to subsidize drugs that people will pay $$$ for to the gills. You are arguing for something that never existed. You are arguing for a European model of healthcare but you don't live in Europe and the goals of your healthcare is TOTALLY DIFFERENT to what you want and has always been.
 
NOLA Dude said:
The health secretary says better diet and exercise will keep Americans trim.

Medicare and Medicaid will not cover blockbuster drugs such as Ozempic to treat obesity, the Trump administration announced on Friday.

The Biden administration in November proposed allowing the public insurance programs to expand coverage of the anti-obesity medications but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services now says that is “not appropriate at this time.”

More than 7 million people would have gained coverage to the medicine, CMS said when it proposed the rule.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the class of weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s, arguing the obesity problem can be solved by improving Americans’ diets and encouraging exercise. Kennedy said in a Fox News interview in October that pharma companies are counting on selling the drugs to Americans because “we’re so stupid and so addicted to drugs.”

CMS had estimated the policy change would cost Medicare $25 billion and Medicaid $15 billion over 10 years. The drugs do not cure obesity and most patients must take them continually to sustain weight loss.

Another excellent decision by RFK. This wouldn't have done anything other than enrich the big pharma companies. Also the GLP 1 medications have serious side effects like gut paralysis, decreased heart muscle, decreased bone density and loss of vision.
Click to expand...

Okay, I agree with this decision.
 
JohnRawls said:
I don't get it why are you even complaining. I had a post about the US healthcare in another topic but the bottom line of it is:

1) It is 20-25% of your GDP with the inflated prices so its a GDP booster.
2) HealthCare's main goal in the US is not extending life/increasing human capital intensity and instead it is capital accumulation.

From that angle it is perfectly fine to deny access to healthcare or coverage and not to subsidize drugs that people will pay $$$ for to the gills. You are arguing for something that never existed. You are arguing for a European model of healthcare but you don't live in Europe and the goals of your healthcare is TOTALLY DIFFERENT to what you want and has always been.
Click to expand...
I complain because it is evident there are drugs that CAN extend life and improve life greatly to what is readily available. Yet, no one has access to it due to $$$. And no one wants access to it because they don't want for the other dude to have the same drug as they. It sucks. But, anywhere else, a individual would be institutionalized or told they are sociopathic. In America? They are the norm. It's a very much accepted norm. I complain because it is clear things can be different, but people don't want it.
 
slavablueberryjam said:
I complain because it is evident there are drugs that CAN extend life and improve life greatly to what is readily available. Yet, no one has access to it due to $$$. And no one wants access to it because they don't want for the other dude to have the same drug as they. It sucks. But, anywhere else, a individual would be institutionalized or told they are sociopathic. In America? They are the norm. It's a very much accepted norm. I complain because it is clear things can be different, but people don't want it.
Click to expand...

People want it, it is just very hard to near impossible to change. How do you ask Congress, Senate or the the President to take 10% hit to GDP lets say just so you reform healthcare? Will anybody go for it?
 
NOLA Dude said:
The health secretary says better diet and exercise will keep Americans trim.

Medicare and Medicaid will not cover blockbuster drugs such as Ozempic to treat obesity, the Trump administration announced on Friday.

The Biden administration in November proposed allowing the public insurance programs to expand coverage of the anti-obesity medications but the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services now says that is “not appropriate at this time.”

More than 7 million people would have gained coverage to the medicine, CMS said when it proposed the rule.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has criticized the class of weight loss drugs known as GLP-1s, arguing the obesity problem can be solved by improving Americans’ diets and encouraging exercise. Kennedy said in a Fox News interview in October that pharma companies are counting on selling the drugs to Americans because “we’re so stupid and so addicted to drugs.”

CMS had estimated the policy change would cost Medicare $25 billion and Medicaid $15 billion over 10 years. The drugs do not cure obesity and most patients must take them continually to sustain weight loss.

Another excellent decision by RFK. This wouldn't have done anything other than enrich the big pharma companies. Also the GLP 1 medications have serious side effects like gut paralysis, decreased heart muscle, decreased bone density and loss of vision.
Click to expand...
Stupid decision.

What we now have done is to allow GLPs to be used to fix complications of obesity- diabetes, sleep apnea, heart failure/HFpEF, MASH, potentially kidney disease and post-ACS, while NOT allowing a beneficial drug to be covered to *prevent* those complications.

Diet and exercise is a fine idea, but we have a ton of evidence that it’s not working well at all for most people- like in the 90% range.

Short sighted and stupid- much like the rest of MAGA policies.

Everything these days from this administration is just soooo stupid. It’s hard to wrap my head around it.
 
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