Millions of Medicare beneficiaries could soon pay far less for popular weight-loss drugs, as a new federal pilot project launches to expand access to GLP-1 medications such as Wegovy and Zepbound.

The temporary program, known as Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, begins July 1 and offers the drugs to eligible seniors for $50 a month, The Associated Press reported.

The initiative is the first time insurance will cover GLP-1s when prescribed solely for weight loss. It will run through the end of 2027, allowing the government to test potential long-term coverage strategies.

The covered medications include Eli Lilly’s Foundayo tablets and Zepbound KwikPens, along with Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injections and tablets. All of these treatments are approved by the Food and Drug Administration for weight management.

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Before this change, seniors seeking GLP-1s for obesity alone faced steep out-of-pocket expenses, averaging $1,350 to $1,650 per month for Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and around $1,086 for Lilly’s Zepbound.

Although manufacturers occasionally offered reduced cash-pay programs, the drugs remained out of reach for many older adults.

Dr. Mehmet Oz, administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, said the government’s move could ease those financial barriers. “The sheer cost of these medications is a huge barrier to access,” he told reporters. “That ends today.”

Jamey Millar, executive vice president of U.S. operations for Novo Nordisk, praised the move in a press release, calling it “a moment they and their families have been waiting for.”

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He said the Bridge program provides an affordable option for an FDA-approved treatment that was previously excluded from Medicare coverage.

Eligibility requirements are strict. Seniors must have had a body mass index of at least 35 when beginning GLP-1 therapy or a BMI of 27 or higher combined with another health condition such as prediabetes or a past heart attack or stroke.

Those already covered under Medicare for other diseases, including diabetes or sleep apnea, are not eligible for this pilot.

CMS plans to closely monitor enrollment and results throughout the pilot period. Dr. Oz told reporters his agency would “carefully track participation and outcomes” to decide whether an extension or different program design would make sense after 2027.

He added that new legislation permanently securing GLP-1 coverage for weight loss is “not essential right now” but could be considered later by Congress. Ongoing talks with drug companies are also focused on finding additional cost reductions.

Juliette Cubanski, vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at the health research organization KFF, estimated that more than 70 million Americans are enrolled in Medicare. Of that number, about 10 million are overweight or obese.

Physicians are still mindful of how older adults respond to medication. Dr. Micah Eimer, a clinical assistant professor of cardiology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, noted that seniors tend to experience more side effects in general.

“Specifically, in our research, older patients on blood pressure medications were more likely to experience hypotensive side effects, such as fainting and dizziness, after starting a GLP-1,” he said.