Evan Bush is a science reporter for NBC News.
The Biden administration plans to require Medicare and Medicaid to offer coverage of weight loss medications for patients seeking to treat obesity. The new rule, which was proposed by the administration on Tuesday, would dramatically expand access to anti-obesity medications like Wegovy, Ozempic and Mounjaro. Until now, Medicare and Medicaid have only provided insurance coverage for these drugs when they are used to treat conditions like diabetes.
The health care analytics company PurpleLab found racial disparities in who is able to get semaglutide, the ingredient in Ozempic and Wegovy. About 85% of semaglutide prescriptions were dispensed to white people in 2023, the company's data found. When insurance doesn't cover the drug, its high cost becomes a barrier for many low- and middle-income Americans, doctors have said. Expanding coverage to patients who rely on Medicare and Medicaid could reduce some disparities.
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