WASHINGTON, D.C. (Michigan News Source) – The GLP-1 weight-loss craze is coming to Medicare. Starting this month, eligible Medicare beneficiaries can get obesity drugs such as Wegovy for a flat $50 monthly copay under the new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge demonstration program – far below the roughly $1,000 or more that patients can pay out of pocket.

The Trump administration’s Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), led by Dr. Mehmet Oz, launched the temporary program July 1. It runs through Dec. 31, 2027. For Michigan, where roughly one in three residents age 65 and older is considered obese, demand could be enormous.

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But not everyone gets a golden ticket. Beneficiaries must meet strict clinical criteria, including obesity-related BMI requirements, and providers must submit documentation and obtain approval.

The big unknown.

The program also comes with a major unanswered question: How will the drugs affect the oldest and frailest Medicare patients? Clinical trials included adults 65 and older and generally found the drugs effective, but seniors – particularly those 75 and older – represented a relatively small share of participants in key weight-loss trials. Doctors and researchers say more real-world data is needed on potential concerns including loss of muscle and lean body mass, bone health, frailty and overall physical function.

The Bridge program is essentially a giant federal experiment. Medicare generally cannot cover drugs prescribed solely for weight loss, but CMS is using long-standing demonstration authority to temporarily test whether expanded access improves health and reduces other Medicare costs.

If the experiment works, it could help build the case for broader coverage. If it doesn’t, the program ends after 2027.