State Medicaid policies regarding coverage of antiobesity medications vary significantly. In a study by Liu et al. (2024), researchers analyzed public state Medicaid formulary and preferred drug list files to assess the coverage of FDA-approved anti-obesity medications. The findings revealed that while some states do cover these medications, not all do. Additionally, more effective medications like GLP-1 are usually only covered for diabetes treatment rather than obesity. In the first quarter of 2023, only 21% of states had coverage for at least one anti-obesity medication on their preferred drug lists, with 11% offering unrestricted coverage. Furthermore, 83% of states had unrestricted coverage for at least one of the two diabetes versions of GLP-1 RAs. This disparity in coverage highlights the need for standardized Medicaid coverage across states for antiobesity medications.
The full article on Medicaid Coverage and Reimbursement of Antiobesity Medications across States can be found here.
