Ozempic is approved for people with diabetes but is prescribed off-label for weight loss, and Wegovy, which is approved for weight loss, can carry a price tag of more than $1,000 a month. Neither drug is covered for weight loss by most insurance plans.
, non-Hispanic Black adults have the highest rates of obesity, followed by Hispanic adults.
Lack of access to this new class of weight loss drugs in such vulnerable groups is"infuriating," said Dr. Jennifer Mieres, chief diversity and inclusion officer and a professor of cardiology at Northwell Health in New York. "I kept seeing the number go up on the scale," she said."I was like, clearly something is wrong." She wanted help getting the extra weight off to reduce her chances of developing Type 2 diabetes.
Medicare pays for bariatric surgery but not obesity medications, including drugs for anorexia, weight loss and weight gain, a spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services told NBC News.Urban InstituteAHIP, a group that represents the insurance industry, maintains that there is not yet enough evidence to show the drugs are effective options for long-term weight loss.
To be clear, semaglutide is not the answer for everyone with obesity. It can cause serious side effects, such as vomiting and nausea. As with treating other diseases, different types of therapy may be necessary.
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