- Life & Health
- Ozempic to Zepbound – Health insurance grapples with weight loss drugs cost
Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk drugs could trim down obesity, but ROI questions linger
By David Saric and Jen Frost
The Ozempic weight loss popularity explosion has raised a dilemma for health insurance companies, government agencies, and other payer organizations, as they figure out how equitable it will be to satiate demand for cover for new weight loss drugs like Wegovy and Zepbound and dampen the obesity crisis without running themselves ragged.
Amid Ozempic and other new diabetes and weight loss drugs’ booming popularity, healthcare payers – including insurance carriers – remain uncertain of the return on investment (ROI) of new weight loss drugs.
While health insurers have started to offer cover for new weight loss drugs, insurance and healthcare professionals are typically looking to what was described by an actuarial expert as a cautious approach and it is believed that more research on potential fiscal and social benefits of widespread cover for drugs like