Pull to refresh
Logo
Daily Brief
Following
Why Sign Up
Alliance of Community Health Plans

Alliance of Community Health Plans

Insurance Industry Organization

Appears in 1 story

Stories

The battle to put GLP-1 drugs on Medicare

Rule Changes

Cautiously supportive of BALANCE, seeking cost details

Medicare has been banned from covering weight loss drugs since 2003. CMS launched the BALANCE voluntary model in December 2025 to work around the law—negotiating $50-per-month access to Ozempic, Wegovy, and similar blockbusters for 10% of Medicare enrollees starting July 2026. The workaround: don't call it weight loss coverage, call it treatment for chronic disease with specific comorbidities. Manufacturer applications closed January 8, 2026, with negotiations continuing through February 28.

Updated Jan 14