Medicare launches $50/month coverage for Wegovy and Zepbound but withholds cost to taxpayers

Medicare announced a temporary “GLP-1 Bridge” program that will allow adults 65 and older to receive the obesity treatments Wegovy and Zepbound for $50 a month beginning July 1.

The program runs through Dec. 31, 2027 and is intended to bypass existing federal restrictions on covering weight-loss drugs, opening the market to millions of new patients.

While the coverage could generate billions in sales for the drugs’ makers, Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk, the agency has not disclosed the total cost that will be borne by taxpayers.

The lack of cost transparency leaves policymakers and beneficiaries uncertain about the financial impact of the program.