Hormonal
Medicare-aged adults (65-69) with obesity but without Type 2 Diabetes have significantly lower prescribing and dispensing rates of anti-obesity GLP-1 receptor agonists compared to adults aged 60-64, likely due to Medicare's prohibition on covering these medications.
If you are over 65 and have obesity but no diabetes, you may face significant barriers to accessing GLP-1 medications like Wegovy or Zepbound because Medicare currently prohibits coverage for these specific anti-obesity drugs. This results in significantly lower prescribing and filling rates compared to those aged 60-64. Consult your provider about available options, but be aware that cost and coverage restrictions may limit your access to these specific hormonal treatments.
Prescribing and initiation of AOM GLP-1 RA are lower for Medicare-aged adults, which may be due to a lack of coverage. Medicare coverage of AOM GLP-1 RA has the potential to increase prescribing and initiation substantially.
Why this rating
Observational cohort study using real-world data; not a randomized controlled trial, but large sample size (n=413,833).
Source
Access to Anti-Obesity GLP-1s for Medicare-Aged Adults
Patricia J Rodriguez et al. · medRxiv · 2024
DOI 10.1101/2024.03.26.24304923
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