Biden-Harris Admin Moves To Shell Out Tens Of Billions In Taxpayer Dollars For Weight-Loss Drugs

The Biden-Harris administration proposed a new rule Tuesday to cover the cost of weight-loss drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy and Mounjaro for millions of Americans.

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) initiative would apply to Medicare and Medicaid enrollees with body mass indexes of 30 or higher, and would cost U.S. taxpayers as much as $35 billion over the next decade, according to The Associated Press.

“It’s a good day for anyone who suffers from obesity,” HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra told the AP. “It’s a game changer for Americans who can’t afford these drugs otherwise.”

A White House press release estimates the proposal would provide access to the obesity drugs to roughly 3.4 million people with Medicare and 4 million with Medicaid, reducing out-of-pocket costs for the pharmaceuticals by as much as 95% for some enrollees. Without insurance, weight-loss drugs can cost as much as $1,000 a month.

The rule could create a rift between potential incoming HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. — an outspoken opponent of Ozempic — and members of the pharmaceutical industry, the AP reported. It could also put RFK Jr. at odds with a bipartisan group of congressmen who claim weight-loss drugs would save the government billions on treating chronic ailments connected to obesity.