The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced in March that it would allow health plans under Medicare Part D (the Medicare prescription drug benefit) to cover Wegovy and other weight-loss medications if they receive Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval for an additional medically accepted indication.
In Wegovy’s case, the FDA recently approved an additional indication “to reduce the risk of major cardiovascular events (such as cardiovascular death, non-fatal myocardial infarction, or non-fatal strokes) in adults with established cardiovascular disease and either obesity or overweight” in combination with a reduced caloric diet and increased physical activity. As a result, Wegovy can be available for Medicare beneficiaries who have an established cardiovascular disease and are either overweight or obese. Part D coverage is still not available for weight-loss medications in beneficiaries who do not have the additional medically accepted indication.
