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Weight loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound strain budgets amid skyrocketing copays

USA Today
Summary
Nutrition label

82% Informative

Weight loss drugs Wegovy and Zepbound will be downgraded to a different coverage tier on her insurance plan.

Blue Cross Blue Shield is changing coverage for GLP-1 drugs, which will cost $ 713 per month.

Only about one-third of those prescribed these drugs remain on them for a year or more.

Insurance coverage for weight loss "is the biggest barrier we have in the United States ," Dr. Angela Fitch says.

In 2024 , 44% of all large employers covered GLP-1 drugs for obesity, up from 41% last year .

Employers impose conditions before employees can qualify for the drugs, such as obtaining authorization before filling a prescription.

The high list prices of these new weight loss drugs are costly for taxpayer-funded health programs.

Some lawmakers have called for more efforts to target drugmakers prices.

In an Oct. 17 letter, the FDA told the Alliance for Pharmacy Compounding that it would not take any immediate enforcement action.

Still, the uncertainty worries consumers like Bonello who rely on these compounded drugs.

VR Score

83

Informative language

82

Neutral language

45

Article tone

semi-formal

Language

English

Language complexity

47

Offensive language

possibly offensive

Hate speech

not hateful

Attention-grabbing headline

not detected

Known propaganda techniques

not detected

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short-lived

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