Axios: Trump admin won't let Medicare cover anti-obesity drugs
- Thread starter indolent
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They neither blame nor applaud. They simply state that the Biden administration had made a proposal for change, and that the Trump administration scrapped it.
Not weighing in here on politics, or my feelings about Musk, but a while back Musk said that he thought that if GLP-1 class drugs were made cheap and affordable enough for any American to take them that needs them, it would drastically cut health care costs and make us a healthier nation. I totally agree with this and would wager a 75% decline in overall healthcare costs with cheap GLPs. For one drug to be able to tackle obesity, diabetes and all the cascading comorbidities that come along with that like heart disease, strokes, vascular disease, kidney disease etc, truly makes it incredible. I’m sure any politician who tried to do this would be under a lot of pressure to not do so by the rest of big pharma and the hospitals
penewbie
GLP-1 Specialist
The long standing prohibition was in a time period where weight loss drugs were neither safe nor efficacious.
Time's changed, old man.
I thought it was more that it was considered merely a cosmetic treatment, not medical.
Not to mention easily avoidable through diet & exercise & lifestyle change & willpower & chewing each mouthful 100 times & ordering the dietetic cottage cheese platter
Yeah, Indo, get up off that office chair and start jogging in place!
As you can see, I'm doing a stationary sit-up/feet-up, and barely touching the stack of jumbo pancakes. Yet.
PANCAKES!?!? I thought those were stacks of files. This changes everything 🤔
keangkong
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That’s the RFK Jr. position.
I don’t know why people are taking medical advice from a Kennedy. Last I checked, the men in that family all die young. Dude is jacked, but he always looks like he has to take a 10 pound crap. That is one of the most corrupt families in the world.
keangkong
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I wouldn't take medical advice from someone like him, who doesn't know what he's talking about. However, the health problems of the Kennedy men seem to be related to being shot or getting into airplane crashes. Bad medical advice has nothing to do with it.
That lead poisoning will get you every time.
Trump administration halts Biden proposal to let Medicare, Medicaid cover anti-obesity drugs
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services did not explain why it was not finalizing the proposal, which the Biden administration unveiled in November.
abc7chicago.com
It's literally his administration overturning what the previous administration ruled. No GLPs, but plenty of koolaid for the crew.
It’s “literally” something that has been this way for several administrations. Why does everything have to be political with you people. The government shouldn’t pay for everything, for everyone.
They only rose to prominence in the Biden administration and the Biden administration started the process to get them covered by Medicare and Medicaid.
This is like saying that we shouldn't cover any new thing because it hadn't been covered before. It's not a logical argument and that has nothing to do with politics.
As for if the government shouldn't pay for everything for everyone, sure. But let's do an ROI study - and I'd gamble on medicare and medicaid providing glp-1s would reduce the overall cost burden for health on taxpayers. Because being fat is expensive as fuck to the medical system.
zpped
GLP-1 Specialist
This wasn't a real concern before the last administration. Then they tried to do something about it. You're just wrong about this one. Whether it should or shouldn't happen is a completely different point and you're trying to move the goalposts.
I get what you are saying, but no military aged person should be on Medicaid long enough for GLP-1s to work and improve other areas of their health.
So you’re good with Medicare covering them then?
Yes. Generally speaking, people contributed to Medicare in order to be able to receive it. We currently have 2nd and 3rd generation welfare recipients receiving Medicaid who can work. They just choose not to. They get more than enough for free.
So you’re not against glp1s being covered, you’re against Medicaid generally? Or Medicaid supporting anything other than the most bare bones emergency care? Just trying to get to the nub of where you’re coming from and where glp1s specifically fit into the picture.
Keeping my political opinions out of this, I do see the sense in not allowing so many people on this drug for weight loss. At $1000 a month that could easily send the cost of Medicare through the roof. Many seniors struggle to pay for Medicare as it is. If it's for diabetes then that's one thing but for weight loss you would have way too many people on it. That's why lots of insurance company's are making it so hard to get. It would send the cost that we pay skyrocketing. Blame that on the drug makers that set the price.
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I think Medicaid is necessary so we can take care of children that need it. It’s not their fault what they are born into. I just have a problem with people who are otherwise healthy milking the system.
It seems like there are 2 debates:
Is this a "Weight Loss" issue or a "general health issue" as it pertains to societal health benefits.
Do we as a society believe that everyone should be entitled to healthcare.
Lots of opposing view points on both really.
Without getting too deep into the mud on either, I think the medications have significant benefits outside of cosmetic. There are the obvious health benefits, but I would argue there are many psychological benefits as well, that could result in folks having the desire to improve in their personal life/finance.
As for Healthcare as a right/Universal Health care/Single payer system.
I will leave that debate for another forum.
I would agree, that there is a common belief that the desire to lose weight is primarily cosmetic and many do not see the other, much more important, benefits.
I subscribe to the theory that people do better when they take control of their own lives and are responsible for their own destiny, so I am of the mind to agree we all need to play our own role in our health, and should strive to pay our own way.
That being said, if the decision has already been made that certain benefits are awarded to an individual, I do see the advantage of reducing the overhead on our system by providing meds that will help them become more healthy all around, and potentially becoming self sufficient as a result.
Is this a "Weight Loss" issue or a "general health issue" as it pertains to societal health benefits.
Do we as a society believe that everyone should be entitled to healthcare.
Lots of opposing view points on both really.
Without getting too deep into the mud on either, I think the medications have significant benefits outside of cosmetic. There are the obvious health benefits, but I would argue there are many psychological benefits as well, that could result in folks having the desire to improve in their personal life/finance.
As for Healthcare as a right/Universal Health care/Single payer system.
I will leave that debate for another forum.
I would agree, that there is a common belief that the desire to lose weight is primarily cosmetic and many do not see the other, much more important, benefits.
I subscribe to the theory that people do better when they take control of their own lives and are responsible for their own destiny, so I am of the mind to agree we all need to play our own role in our health, and should strive to pay our own way.
That being said, if the decision has already been made that certain benefits are awarded to an individual, I do see the advantage of reducing the overhead on our system by providing meds that will help them become more healthy all around, and potentially becoming self sufficient as a result.
zpped
GLP-1 Specialist
But you're assuming medicare would pay list price. Try looking what people pay for this drug in other countries. There is power in large bodies negotiating.
They would pay full price because they’re not allowed to negotiate, a direct result of the influence of business on legislators. While I agree with panda that people who are capable of paying for their insurance should do so, I also think that the system is so FUBAR’d that the cost is beyond the means of many more people than it should be. The solution is not less coverage, as panda is advocating and in my opinion is an unsophisticated approach to an extraordinarily complex situation, but rather enabling affordability.
Another policy direction literally changed by this administration was the ability to negotiate drug costs.
rkl123
GLP-1 Enthusiast
Military aged what?
I’m referring to people who are old enough to work, but not retirement age. They should be working and paying their own way. Freeloaders don’t deserve these drugs. They can buy them just like us if they don’t have insurance to cover it.
Are you referring to the U.S. Military as a dumping ground for otherwise unemployable or marginally-employable people, a last resort for the minimally competent?
No, I’m referring to anyone who is perfectly capable (which is most people) of finding gainful employment, but I’m not against anyone serving a country rather than being one of its dependents. Who are you referring to as “unemployable or marginally unemployable.” If people are minimally competent they have bigger problems than GLP-1s.
If someone is capable of creating accounts, and engaging in discussions on forums, they are absolutely capable of finding gainful employment.
I would add that when I joined the Army at 17 I was quite incompetent. Most people are at that age. They have fought and won wars throughout human history.
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If you are utterly incompetent and don’t want to join the military there is always the option of facilitating group buys.
I'm pretty sure the people on these forums who are advocating for Medicaid coverage of GLP-1s aren't advocating for themselves.
But maybe they're advocating for the 300 lb person who would otherwise get a job as, say, a cashier but for the fact that 300 lbs on two feet for 8 hours doesn't really work very well. Peptides to the rescue.
The good news for all of those people is that my opinion doesn’t matter. 😂 I love my country but have no faith in politicians on either side of the aisle to make the right decisions. My responses are all based off of personal experience and emotions. If someone was going to be in a position to make life saving/changing decisions, I hope they have nowhere near my level of cynicism.
Windingroads06
Less is More
I am. Actually, I am all for people getting these medications that are having positive impacts in multiple areas of health.
As a professional working in a role that witnesses the debacle of the medicaid system ( 25 years), I concur. I have many, many stories.
100%!
Even at retail these are a good investment - with major quality of life and reduced cost of care benefits.
But when you factor in how cheap they are to make? Absolute no brainer.
The govt should acquire the patent via some "benefit to society" rule and distribute freely.
Imagine if Jonas Salk tried to do this shit? We are becoming truly horrible as a people.
Please don’t forget cabbage soup
I once bought a used book (1970s?) called The Sexy Pineapple Diet because it was a sexy used book.
I still gained weight in the long run, though. But probably only because I didn't chew each bite 10,000 times before swallowing.
Too bad the federal government couldn't just buy one of the companies with a decently promising glp in the pipeline but no money for trials. Fast track it under emergency authorization like the COVID vaccine. Move it directly to generic and cover it with Medicaid/Medicare. Might make people live too long drawing social security though.
Ted R
GLP-1 Member
Don't think I'll be taking anything that the government is involved in or promotes.
I hear ya, gotta draw the line somewhere. I'll stick with mail order from a super hot Chinese model I met on an anonymous discord server that only accepts crypto.
I think there is much more middle ground than the media portrays on the big issues. I for one am tired of the extremes on each side and while I might not agree with someone, I will gladly have constructive discourse with them.
The biggest two mistakes people make is
1.) Thinking ANY politician cares about them. 2.) Thinking they are more important than they really are. Especially all the screamers out there. Just because you say something louder, doesn’t make it any more correct.
As I get older, I’m either buying into conspiracies more, OR I realize that many people in positions of power prosper through the division of the working class. Like the old Latin maxim “divide et impara.”
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Lol, sure, sure.
Blitziod
New Member
Medicaid generally covers weight loss surgery. So there is at least that. That’s better than my health insurance.
Not covering GLP1 s is going to cost way more down the road. Esp when they become generic. Sema isn’t that far from being off patent.
I think GLP1 maybe back doored into coverage. They are being looked at as a cure for sleep apnea for example. A disorder most overweight people have. Same with type 2 diabetes.
Not covering GLP1 s is going to cost way more down the road. Esp when they become generic. Sema isn’t that far from being off patent.
I think GLP1 maybe back doored into coverage. They are being looked at as a cure for sleep apnea for example. A disorder most overweight people have. Same with type 2 diabetes.
Blitziod
New Member
Or just fast track a drug for a consortium of generic providers.
