By Chris Prentice and Mariam Sunny
NEW YORK, July 22 (Reuters) - Many patients have opted for injectable forms of the wildly popular GLP-1 obesity medications through a pilot program of the U.S. government's Medicare health insurance program for Americans aged 65 and older, according to early indications from doctors and analysts.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this month launched an 18-month trial program that for the first time opens access to Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Foundayo and Zepbound as weight-loss treatment alone for a monthly cost of $50.
Millions of people are expected to qualify, and doctors are already being flooded with interest from patients aged 65 and older. For the most part, they say the process is going well — with some hiccups.
Many pharmaceutical industry experts had expected that patients would prefer pills over injections, for convenience. Novo's U.S. chief Jamey Millar in June said the firm's research indicated that Medicare beneficiaries prefer the oral pill to the injectable on a two-to-one basis.
#medicare #patients #program #older
NEW YORK, July 22 (Reuters) - Many patients have opted for injectable forms of the wildly popular GLP-1 obesity medications through a pilot program of the U.S. government's Medicare health insurance program for Americans aged 65 and older, according to early indications from doctors and analysts.
The U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this month launched an 18-month trial program that for the first time opens access to Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Foundayo and Zepbound as weight-loss treatment alone for a monthly cost of $50.
Millions of people are expected to qualify, and doctors are already being flooded with interest from patients aged 65 and older. For the most part, they say the process is going well — with some hiccups.
Many pharmaceutical industry experts had expected that patients would prefer pills over injections, for convenience. Novo's U.S. chief Jamey Millar in June said the firm's research indicated that Medicare beneficiaries prefer the oral pill to the injectable on a two-to-one basis.
#medicare #patients #program #older
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