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WEDNESDAY, Dec. 13, 2023 (HealthDay Information) — An amazing majority of older People assume well being insurers and Medicare ought to cowl the price of weight-loss medicines like Ozempic, Wegovy or Zepbound, a brand new survey has discovered.
Greater than 4 out of 5 older adults (83%) assume insurance coverage firms ought to pay for medicine that assist overweight folks handle their weight, based on ballot outcomes from over 2,600 folks ages 50 to 80.
And about three in 4 (76%) imagine Medicare ought to cowl weight-loss medicine, researchers on the College of Michigan Nationwide Ballot and Wholesome Ageing discovered.
“Our information present the robust consciousness and curiosity in these medicines, and in entry to them by way of insurance coverage, alongside protection for different weight-focused care together with vitamin counseling, train applications and bariatric surgical procedure,” mentioned researcher Dr. Lauren Oshman, an weight problems medication specialist and affiliate professor within the College of Michigan Division of Household Medication.
Weight-loss medicine have been within the highlight for the reason that approval of Wegovy, an injectable drug initially accredited for treating kind 2 diabetes beneath the identify Ozempic.
The FDA has since accredited Zepbound for weight reduction, a diabetes drug beforehand accredited beneath the identify Mounjaro.
These new medicines are expensive, costing greater than $12,000 a yr for individuals who pay out of their very own pockets.
However the medicine are practically as efficient as bariatric surgical procedure in serving to folks with weight problems lose 10% or extra of their physique weight, medical trial information has proven. That’s way over overweight people usually obtain or maintain by way of weight-reduction plan and train.
A 2003 legislation at the moment prohibits Medicare from masking medicines particularly for weight reduction, though the federal insurance coverage program can cowl medicine that assist folks with kind 2 diabetes handle their weight, researchers mentioned in background notes.
Within the ballot, researchers discovered huge curiosity amongst older adults for utilizing weight-loss medicine to drop further kilos.
About one in 4 ballot respondents mentioned they’re obese, and 63% of them are fascinated about taking a weight-loss remedy.
So are 45% of those that have diabetes, no matter their weight, outcomes present.
The medicine seem to make impression as effectively. Amongst those that had ever taken a weight-loss remedy, 83% mentioned they’d accomplish that once more.
“We hope these findings will assist inform policymakers and profit plan designers who’re grappling with the tradeoffs of value and long-term profit in the case of these medicines,” Oshman mentioned.
Ballot outcomes present that Ozempic/Wegovy has largely pushed this new curiosity in weight-loss medicines.
The ballot discovered that 61% of older adults had heard of the diabetes drug Ozempic, however solely 18% had heard of the model accredited particularly for weight reduction, Wegovy.
Different weight-loss medicine had been a lot much less acquainted to ballot respondents. Solely 13% had heard of an older drug referred to as phenterimine, and simply 3% had heard of Qsymia, Saxenda or Contrave.
Zepbound obtained FDA approval for weight administration after the ballot was taken.
“As these medicines develop in consciousness and use, and insurers make selections about protection, it’s essential for sufferers who’ve weight problems or diabetes, or who’re obese with different well being issues, to speak with their well being care suppliers about their choices,” mentioned ballot director Dr. Jeffrey Kullgren, a major care doctor on the VA Ann Arbor Healthcare System and an affiliate professor of inside medication on the College of Michigan.
The researchers famous that just about all older adults within the ballot mentioned they’d tried to shed some pounds previously, with many exercising or altering up their weight-reduction plan.
“This is a crucial dialog within the face of a rising realization over the previous decade that weight problems is a continual situation with a number of contributing elements that raises downstream dangers of well being issues, and {that a} mixture of way of life change and medical or surgical intervention is commonly wanted to handle it,” Kullgren mentioned in a college information launch.
The ballot was performed in July and August amongst 2,657 adults 50 to 80.
Extra info
The Nationwide Institutes of Well being has extra about prescription weight-loss medicines.
SOURCE: College of Michigan, information launch, Dec. 13, 2023
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