Medicare Launches GLP-1 Bridge Program Offering $50 Monthly Weight-Loss Drugs
The temporary Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program will provide eligible beneficiaries with select weight-loss medications for a $50 copayment through the end of 2027, subject to specific enrollment and health criteria.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has opened a temporary GLP-1 Bridge program that allows qualifying Medicare beneficiaries to obtain certain weight-loss drugs for a $50 monthly copayment until Dec. 31, 2027. Participants must be enrolled in a qualifying Medicare Part D prescription drug plan, and some special Medicare coverage arrangements are excluded.
Beneficiaries who are already receiving GLP-1 medications through their existing Medicare drug coverage are ineligible for the Bridge program and must continue using their current plan, according to Medicare.gov.
Eligibility also depends on medical conditions. CMS notes that individuals with Type 2 diabetes, moderate to severe sleep apnea, or fatty liver disease may be excluded because Medicare may already cover GLP-1 drugs for those conditions under standard Part D benefits.
Adults generally need a body-mass index (BMI) of at least 35, or a lower BMI combined with health issues such as uncontrolled high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, prediabetes, a prior heart attack, stroke, or peripheral artery disease.
Only specific GLP-1 medications are covered under the program.