Pilot program to provide cheaper GLP-1 via Medicare stokes shortage fears

A group of weight loss medications on a white background. Photograph: UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images View image in fullscreen A group of weight loss medications on a white background. Photograph: UCG/Universal Images Group/Getty Images Pilot program to provide cheaper GLP-1 via Medicare stokes shortage fears Some adults aged 65 and above will be able to get the drug for $50 through Medicare GLP-1, a temporary program Kathryn, a retiree who worked in healthcare, has throughout her life experienced “cyclical weight-loss, weight-gain”. “Every time that that has happened, it’s been a little bit greater of the loss and the gain, which is really unhealthy,” said the 66-year-old who lives in Denver, Colorado, and requested that only her first name be used. At her heaviest, the 5ft 1in-woman weighed 220lbs. But like millions of people who struggled with obesity, Kathryn started taking a GLP-1 drug about two years ago and was able to break that cycle. She now weighs 133lbs. “My blood pressure is great; my cholesterol is great. I feel really good,” she said. But that health improvement comes at a high cost. Using Zepbound, an injectable GLP-1 which costs $450 each month, means Kathryn has not been able to afford to travel like she hoped in retirement. Lately, she has been stretching out the dosages, so that she can make each order last longer than a month. Luckily, some financial freedom may be on the horizon. On 1 July, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will launch a pilot program that will allow some adults ages 65 and above to only pay $50 each month for a GLP-1 drug. Doctors who treat obesity say the initiative, Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, could help millions of older adults who, like Kathryn, struggle to pay for the drugs – or could not afford to even start taking them – but said that questions remain about the federal government’s administration of the program. Additionally, it’s only slated to be a temporary offering. “It’s a huge social and healthcare experiment to have this volume of people that are going to rely on the CMS website working; the pharmacy side working and the health system side all being able to process these prior authorizations in an efficient, effective way,” said Dr Annie Moore, an internist at CU Health in Denver. “This has never happened. I just don’t quite know how smooth it’s going to be.” In fall 2025, about 5 million US adults ages 65 and above – the population that is covered by Medicare – were taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss or a chronic condition such as diabetes, according to a KFF Health survey . “They are super popular for a reason: they work really well,” said Dr Christopher Weber, an internist in Milwaukee who only sees patients struggling with obesity. Still, seniors were also much likelier than younger adults to stop using the drugs, in part because of the cost, KFF Health News reported. The GLP-1 Bridge program will cover three drugs, Foundayo, Wegovy and Zepbound, and be available to pe