Many Americans who are looking to use medications like Ozempic to lose weight are hitting a barrier: Their employers’ health plans won’t pay for them.
As The Wall Street Journal reports, the issue is an emerging fault line in U.S. workplaces, driven by the social media and celebrity buzz around Ozempic and its sister drug, Wegovy.
Prescriptions for the treatments have soared so much that the drugs’ maker has often struggled to keep pace with demand.
Companies are wary of footing the bill for the pricey medicines, pushing them to revisit their health care policies and, in many cases, add extra requirements to qualify for approval. And while many employer plans cover Ozempic as a diabetes treatment, fewer than one-fourth cover any drug specifically for losing weight, according to a survey by the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans.
Wegovy, approved for weight loss, lists at more than $1,300 for a 28-day supply. The drugs need to be taken on a continuing basis, potentially for years. Ozempic—approved for diabetes but often used off-label to lose weight—carries a list price of about $900 a month. Mounjaro, a similar diabetes drug that is expected to gain regulatory approval for weight loss this year, lists at more than $1,000.
A typical employer’s drug spending could increase by more than 50% if half of employees who are eligible for Wegovy were to take it. Read the full story.
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May 23, 2023 at 09:46PM
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Why companies don’t want their employees taking Ozempic to lose weight - Greater Baton Rouge Business Report
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