The Trump Administration Cuts Weight-Loss Medication Provided by Medicare’s Part D Prescription Drug Coverage

A woman holds up a dosage of Wegovy, a drug used for weight loss, at a home in Front Royal, Va., on Friday, March 1, 2024. Amanda Andrade-Rhoades—AP

On Friday, April 4, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service (CMS) announced that they will stop obesity treatment provided under Medicare’s Part D prescription drug coverage.

This proposal, influenced by the Trump administration, will stop CMS from supplying weight-loss medication such as Wegovy and Zepbound.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy expressed skepticism towards these medications and advised the general public to switch to healthier lifestyles instead.

The inclusion of obesity treatment medication in Medicare’s Part D prescription drug coverage was issued by Former U.S. President Joe Biden back in November of last year. The law was not expected to be finalized until President Trump took office.

Biden’s proposal was expensive as it would cost taxpayers nearly $35 billion to cover all 50 states and federally funded Medicaid programs for people with low incomes.

The federal program aimed to pay for drugs like Wegovy for patients with heart disease who need to reduce their risk of heart attacks or strokes. It also covers versions of the drugs that treat diabetes.

"GLP-1, Ozempic, this is a drug that has so much patient demand," Jonathan Zhang, a professor at Duke University's Sanford School of Public Policy, said. "It's really taken on a life of its own on social media. So the Trump administration - or any administration - faces a tonne of pressure to do something about this in the near term."