Access to GLP-1 drugs for weight loss is becoming more uneven, especially for people who rely on Medicaid. A review cited by The Washington Post found that only about one in five state Medicaid programs cover the drugs for weight loss this year, down from roughly one-third previously.
The change is affecting patients who have few alternatives when coverage disappears. In Boston, primary care doctor Ian Huntington has been helping low-income patients manage their weight after the state Medicaid program stopped paying for GLP-1 drugs for that use.
The shift shows how much access depends on where someone lives and what their insurance will cover. When a state Medicaid program drops weight-loss coverage, patients who had been depending on those medicines can be left without a practical path to stay on treatment.
The result is a widening gap in who can get GLP-1 drugs for weight loss and who cannot. As state policies tighten, people with lower incomes are among those most likely to be shut out.
