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Medicare Should Cover Weight Loss Drugs as Long as the Prices are Affordable

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  31 May 2024

Catherine S. Hwang Open the ORCID record for Catherine S. Hwang [Opens in a new window] ,
Aaron S. Kesselheim  and
Benjamin N. Rome Open the ORCID record for Benjamin N. Rome [Opens in a new window]
Catherine S. Hwang
Affiliation:
DIVISION OF PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND PHARMACOECONOMICS, DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL AND HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, BOSTON, MA
Aaron S. Kesselheim
Affiliation:
DIVISION OF PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND PHARMACOECONOMICS, DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL AND HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, BOSTON, MA
Benjamin N. Rome
Affiliation:
DIVISION OF PHARMACOEPIDEMIOLOGY AND PHARMACOECONOMICS, DEPARTMENT OF MEDICINE, BRIGHAM AND WOMEN’S HOSPITAL AND HARVARD MEDICAL SCHOOL, BOSTON, MA
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Abstract

Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists are effective for treating obesity, but the high cost of these medications endangers the financial viability of our health care system. To ensure that these drugs are available to Medicare beneficiaries, pharmaceutical manufacturers must lower their prices.

Keywords

MedicareInflation Reduction ActNegotiateObesityGlucagon-Like Peptide-1 Receptor AgonistsLiraglutideSemaglutideTirzepatide
Type
Columns: Health Policy Portal
Information
Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics , Volume 52 , Issue 1 , Spring 2024 , pp. 188 - 190
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2024. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics

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Footnotes

About This Column

Aaron Kesselheim serves as the editor for Health Policy Portal. Dr. Kesselheim is the JLME editor-in-chief and director of the Program On Regulation, Therapeutics, And Law at Brigham and Women’s Hospital/Harvard Medical School. This column features timely analyses and perspectives on issues at the intersection of medicine, law, and health policy that are directly relevant to patient care. If you would like to submit to this section of JLME, please contact Dr. Kesselheim at [email protected].

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