Last November, President Trump stood in the Oval Office beside executives from Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk and promised America’s seniors more affordable weight-loss drugs. The delivery vehicle is the GLP-1 Bridge Program, launched on July 1 under the leadership of Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Administrator Dr. Mehmet Oz. On paper, it’s quite simple: eligible Medicare enrollees get Wegovy, Zepbound, or the new daily pill Foundayo for a flat $50 a month, through the end of 2027. But here’s the problem—subsidizing GLP-1 medications through taxpayer dollars is a temporary solution less ideal than embracing competition to drive prices down over the long term.
Patients with obesity are at higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, and sleep apnea, conditions which, when developed, balloon costs for the Medicare and Medicaid system and shorten the expected lifespan of Americans.
The GLP-1 Bridge Program makes it clear that CMS recognizes that fighting obesity by using science will both improve patients’ lives and lead to healthcare cost savings down the line.
Making GLP-1 medications more affordable for American seniors and those with disabilities also means that fewer Americans will turn to copycat medications and the illicit GLP-1 market, which have proven to be dangerous.