Washington, D.C. – Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley today led a group of Senators to urge the Trump Administration’s U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to make it easier for millions of Americans to access prescription anti-obesity medications known as GLP-1s.
“We urge you and the Trump Administration to allow Americans to receive necessary medication for obesity and the fatal associated health complications. Specifically, we urge you to revisit this decision and re-issue a rule that would allow Medicare and Medicaid to cover drugs used to treat obesity,” escribieron los senadores.
In late 2024, the Biden Administration unveiled a proposal that would have allowed Medicare and Medicaid to cover the treatments. The Senators’ letter to HHS Secretary Robert F Kennedy, Jr. asks the Trump Administration to give as many as 7.4 million Americans affordable access to prescription anti-obesity drugs.
“We urge you to re-issue a rule that would allow Medicare and Medicaid to cover drugs used to treat obesity. The United States faces an indisputable public health crisis. More than 38% of U.S. adults ages 60 and older live with obesity,” the Senators stressed. “Diseases associated with obesity, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, are the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. Preventing these health complications will enable patients to improve their health, benefiting families across the country.”
Continuaron, “Currently, Medicare is forbidden from, and the majority of state Medicaid programs do not cover medications to treat obesity, such as certain glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists. These limitations mean that millions of Americans are unable to access the medications they need to prevent fatal health complications. As the medical community’s understanding of obesity evolves, scientific discoveries have unlocked new treatments, and the health care system needs to adapt by covering those treatment options.”
“We ask that you uphold the belief expressed in your comment to the Committee and allow Americans access to the medication they need,” the Senators implored.
Merkley’s letter was signed by U.S. Senators Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), and Gary Peters (D-MI).
Full text of the letter can be found by clicking aquí y sigue a continuación:
Dear Secretary Kennedy,
We urge you to re-issue a rule that would allow Medicare and Medicaid to cover drugs used to treat obesity. The United States faces an indisputable public health crisis. More than 38% of U.S. adults ages 60 and older live with obesity. The American Medical Association (AMA) has officially recognized obesity as a disease since June 2013. Diseases associated with obesity, such as heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer, are the leading causes of preventable death in the U.S. Preventing these health complications will enable patients to improve their health, benefiting families across the country.
Currently, Medicare is forbidden from, and the majority of state Medicaid programs do not cover medications to treat obesity, such as certain glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) agonists. These limitations mean that millions of Americans are unable to access the medications they need to prevent fatal health complications. As the medical community’s understanding of obesity evolves, scientific discoveries have unlocked new treatments, and the health care system needs to adapt by covering those treatment options.
The Biden Administration’s November 2024 Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) proposed rule to authorize Medicare and Medicaid to cover drugs used to treat obesity is a step in the right direction. Simply allowing Medicare and Medicaid to cover the treatment patients need will help Americans live healthier and longer lives.
This action will not only benefit the health of Americans, but is also a critical long-term investment to improve the costly treatment of health complications associated with obesity. From expensive hospital stays to multiple treatments for comorbidities, the direct medical costs of obesity run the U.S. health care system over $173 billion a year. Investing in obesity treatment coverage would help to reduce these astronomical costs over time.
During your January hearing in front of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee, you stated that “the GLP-1 class of drugs are miracle drugs.” However, on Friday April 4, 2025, the Trump Administration announced that it would not finalize the Biden Administration’s proposed rule for Medicare and Medicaid to cover these drugs, maintaining the current status that CMS will not cover weight loss medications under the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage program. We ask that you uphold the belief expressed in your comment to the Committee and allow Americans access to the medication they need.
We urge you and the Trump Administration to allow Americans to receive necessary medication for obesity and the fatal associated health complications. Specifically, we urge you to revisit this decision and re-issue a rule that would allow Medicare and Medicaid to cover drugs used to treat obesity.
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