WASHINGTON — Weight loss drugs will be available on Medicare to adults 65 and older for the first time next month, thanks to a supposed temporary government program. It may be difficult to finish it.
Medicare is prohibited by law from paying for obesity drugs. The Trump administration has circumvented this law by making the drug available through demonstration programs.
Initially, Medicare expected to encourage private Medicare insurers to voluntarily cover drugs through a three-year program called BALANCE, which was scheduled to begin after a short transition period. But insurers balked, and the federal government instead decided to extend a transitional coverage program called “Bridge” through the end of next year.
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