Does Medicare Cover Semaglutide For Weight Loss?

When looking for a weight loss solution, semaglutide is a popular choice. People with obesity issues can be benefited by the medication, and thus it is approved by the FDA to manage chronic weight management. Many patients have the query if it is covered under Medicare. Medicare policies help the patients to save a lot of money and also to make decisions related to medication and health. Let’s find out in this article if semaglutide taken for weight loss is covered under Medicare or not.

The Working Of Semaglutide

Semaglutide, a glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) has the property to mimic the naturally occurring hormone that regulates blood sugar level. By creating the same effect, the semaglutide helps in reducing food intake by making the feeling of a full stomach stay for longer.

Medicare and Semaglutide for Weight Loss

Medicare is divided into plans that help people older than 65 years or younger people with some chronic diseases or disabilities get insurance coverage. Here is a brief about each plan:

• Medicare Plan A: It talks about the insurance given to the patient who was admitted in the hospital for some treatment. As the weight loss treatment does not require any surgery or being admitted to the hospital, the coverage for semaglutide for weight loss doesn’t come under this plan.
• Medicare Plan B: It covers outpatients, including doctor visits and certain medications. As the dosage of semaglutide is taken at home by yourself, it won’t be covered under plan B.
• Medicare Plan C: These are plans approved by Medicare and offered by private companies in the combination of plan A and plan B. 
• Medicare Plan D: This covers the prescription of the medications. It may include weight-loss medication such as semaglutide. However, this also depends on the private companies policies. 

Remember that plan D covering the medication prescription does not necessarily include semaglutide for weight loss. It may semaglutide for type-2 diabetes cause weight loss is considered to have more aesthetic reasons than a health condition. Despite obesity being the cause of many chronic diseases, it is not seen as vital as insurance by many companies.

Final Thought

The semaglutide is a blessing for people suffering from obesity. It helps to reduce weight and thus subside the risk of many chronic diseases related to weight. However, losing weight is considered to have aesthetic reasons, so many companies don’t cover it under Plan D of Medicare. All the other plans don’t talk about it, but plan D can cover the prescribed medication. It is possible that semaglutide is covered, but when given against type-2 diabetes. Consult your healthcare provider and Medicare policy company to know the details about the coverage.