The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services on Wednesday launched Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, a pilot program that caps monthly copays at $50 for certain GLP-1 weight loss drugs for eligible Medicare Part D beneficiaries aged 65 and older. The program, which runs through Dec. 31, 2027, covers three drugs — Foundayo, Wegovy and Zepbound, according to the Guardian.
Before the pilot, patients like Kathryn, a 66-year-old Denver retiree who asked to be identified only by her first name, paid $450 a month for Zepbound and stretched doses to make each order last longer. About 5 million adults 65 and older were taking a GLP-1 drug for weight loss or a chronic condition as of fall 2025, according to a KFF Health survey, and seniors were more likely than younger adults to stop because of cost, KFF reported.
To qualify for the $50 copay, beneficiaries must have Medicare Part D and cannot have type 2 diabetes, moderate-to-severe sleep apnea or fatty liver disease — conditions that may already qualify for drug coverage under their plan. They must also have a body mass index of 35 or higher, among other qualifying conditions, CMS said.
Physicians who treat obesity said they expect the program to drive a surge in demand that the health system may not be ready to handle. “It’s a huge social and healthcare experiment to have this volume of people that are going to rely on the CMS website working; the pharmacy side working and the health system side all being able to process these prior authorizations in an efficient, effective way,” said Dr. Annie Moore, an internist at CU Health in Denver. “This has never happened. I just don’t quite know how smooth it’s going to be.”
Dr. Christopher Weber, an internist in Milwaukee who sees only patients with obesity, said the clinics will be busy. “It’s a process for these prior authorizations, so just keeping up with that demand and the administrative overhead is going to be a challenge,” he said.
Moore estimated it could take three to four months before patients can actually obtain the drugs at the reduced price. She added that some patients on fixed incomes may still find $50 a month — $600 a year — too expensive.
The program’s scheduled end at the close of 2027 has raised concerns about what happens next. “It’s a temporary program; obesity is not a temporary problem,” said Dorothea Vafiadis, senior strategist for healthy aging at the National Council on Aging. She said patients are already asking what they will do in 2028.
Carmin, a Denver healthcare worker who asked to be identified only by her first name, said she had been interested in trying a GLP-1 but held off because she was saving for retirement. “The dream scenario for me is that by Christmas or next spring, I can get back into clothes I was wearing two years ago,” she said.