On November 6, 2025, the White House announced an agreement with pharmaceutical manufacturers Eli Lilly and Company and Novo Nordisk A/S to reduce the cost of GLP-1 medications—commonly used for diabetes and increasingly prescribed for obesity—and to begin expanding coverage under public programs such as Medicare and Medicaid.

What the Plan Includes

According to multiple reports, the plan sets new pricing benchmarks and outlines pathways for coverage expansion:

  • Lower out-of-pocket costs: The injectable versions of these drugs (e.g., Wegovy and Zepbound) would be offered at about $350 per month, with gradual reductions expected over the next two years.
  • Future affordability for oral versions: Pending approval, oral GLP-1s are projected to cost around $150 per month for initial doses.
  • Public program coverage: For the first time, Medicare beneficiaries could see capped co-pays as low as $50 per month, with Medicaid programs given options to align coverage.
  • Drug pricing parity: The effort is framed as part of a broader push to bring U.S. drug costs closer to those in other high-income nations.

A Meaningful Policy Shift — But Equitable Access Still Matters

For years, the medical community has recognized obesity as a chronic, relapsing disease that warrants comprehensive treatment. Yet access to effective pharmacotherapy has been sharply limited—mainly due to cost and insurance exclusion for obesity indications. This new policy marks a step toward closing that gap. But lower prices do not automatically mean equitable access. Insurance coverage and state policies will vary in their coverage, and patients in lower-income or rural areas may continue to face barriers. In addition, eligibility criteria, prescribing requirements and timelines for Medicare rollout are not yet finalized.

Why This Matters

Obesity affects more than 40 % of U.S. adults and intersects with nearly every major chronic disease—diabetes, heart disease, certain cancers, and reproductive-health conditions. By improving access to treatment, this policy could help reduce complications, improve quality of life, and lessen health disparities.

Importantly, obesity disproportionately impacts women and communities of color, often compounded by stigma and systemic inequities. Broader access to evidence-based treatment is therefore not only a public-health issue, but an equity imperative.

PBS Episode on Obesity Care

AMWA has been working hard to advocate for obesity care for the past several years. We are thrilled that our recently premiered episode of Breakthrough Women in Science & Medicine (aired on Public Broadcasting Service/PBS on November 1, 2025) foregrounds these issues in a way that complements the policy announcement. The episode features, among others, obesity-medicine specialist Fatima Cody Stanford, MD, MPH, AMWA lifetime member who speaks to several key themes:

  • Misconceptions related to obesity and the importance of classifying it as a chronic disease.
  • Weight bias and stigma in medicine and society, and how those affect patient-access and outcomes.
  • A patient’s journey across the lifespan with weight-loss and obesity interventions, providing a human context to the policy discussion.

Be sure to watch the episode on PBS and learn more about the Breakthrough Women in Science and Medicine series.