Medicare Cuts Costs for Eligible Seniors on Weight-loss Meds

WHO:

Fox News - Eligible seniors, Medicare beneficiaries, Dr. Mehmet Oz (administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services), Juliette Cubanski (vice president and director of the program on Medicare policy at KFF).

WHAT:

Fox News - A new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program offers Wegovy and Zepbound to eligible seniors for $50 a month.

AP News - The program allows certain Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries to access GLP-1 weight loss drugs for $50 a month.

AP News - The program runs until the end of 2027.

AP News - The program is the first opportunity for most older adults to get GLP-1s covered by insurance when used strictly for weight loss.

AP News - Eligibility requires a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher, or a BMI of 27 or higher with another health condition.

AP News - The covered medications include Eli Lilly’s Foundayo tablets, Zepbound KwikPens, and Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy injections and tablets.

AP News - The cost for those in the program is $50 per month, regardless of dosage.

WHERE:

AP News - The program is available to eligible seniors across the United States.

WHEN:

Fox News - The program started on July 1.

AP News - The program is scheduled to sunset after December 31, 2027.

WHY:

AP News - The program aims to help collect data for potential longer-term coverage and provide immediate relief to older Americans facing high medication costs.

AP News - Dr. Mehmet Oz stated, “The sheer cost of these medications is a huge barrier to access.”

HOW:

AP News - To qualify, beneficiaries must contact their healthcare provider, who must send a prescription for one of the covered GLP-1 drugs to a pharmacy and fill out a prior authorization form.

AP News - BMI measurements are counted at the start of GLP-1 therapy, allowing individuals who previously had a qualifying BMI to qualify even if they fall below the threshold now.

(UPDATED July 2, 2026 06:22 UTC)

A new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program is now available to eligible seniors across the United States, offering access to weight loss medications like Wegovy and Zepbound for just $50 a month. This program, which started on July 1, allows Medicare and Medicare Advantage beneficiaries with a body mass index of 35 or higher, or 27 or higher with another health condition, to receive these drugs, marking the first time many older adults can get GLP-1s covered by insurance for weight loss. The initiative aims to provide immediate relief to older Americans facing high medication costs and will run until December 31, 2027, while also helping to collect data for potential longer-term coverage.