An injection pen of Zepbound, Eli Lilly’s weight loss drug, is displayed in New York City on Dec. 11, 2023.
Brendan McDermid | Reuters
Medicare drug plans can now cover Eli Lilly‘s blockbuster obesity drug Zepbound for obstructive sleep apnea, CNBC confirmed on Wednesday.Â
That opens the door for broader access to Zepbound, which is not currently covered by Medicare and many other insurance plans for weight loss. Demand for the injection has soared over the last year despite its roughly $1,000 per month price tag before insurance.
In a statement to CNBC, a spokesperson for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, said “current Medicare Part D and Medicaid coverage rules apply” to Zepbound following its landmark approval in December for the most common sleep-related breathing disorder.
Medicare Part D plans can only cover obesity drugs if they are used for an
