Medicare will soon cover obesity drugs, but many seniors may not know

Millions of older Americans on Medicare are about to have access to obesity drugs for the first time, but the breakthrough may be going unnoticed by many of them.

Starting Wednesday, eligible beneficiaries will be able to obtain obesity drugs for as little as $50 a month out-of-pocket through Medicare’s new Bridge Demonstration Program. The news represents a long-awaited victory for patients, doctors and obesity advocates who have pushed for broader access to the blockbuster treatment. novo nordisk and Eli Lillywas out of reach for many Americans.

But a survey released in early June by the Obesity Care Advocacy Network found that a staggering 82% of older Americans (including 79% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats) said they didn’t know that Medicare was about to start covering obesity drugs. The survey was conducted in late March among more than 2,100 adults aged 65 and over and was completed weeks before the government announced it would extend the bridge program until 2027.

This data may not be surprising. Although the government has made strong efforts to lobby health care providers and pharmacists, some doctors and other experts told CNBC they have found limited advertising of the new coverage to the public by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Novo & Lilly.

There may be a good reason for that. CMS conducted limited publicity efforts about the program ahead of July 1 because once benefits are actually available, beneficiaries will be “motivated to take action,” CMS officials told reporters Thursday. They added that CMS will roll out further promotions after launch “to better manage taxpayer dollars.”

Other experts also told CNBC that it may ultimately be important to ensure that health care providers and pharmacies are prepared and have resources before pursuing broader social assistance.

Still, some experts say a lack of awareness could delay some eligible adults from taking advantage of their new insurance and getting immediate treatment.

“I haven’t seen much information that is publicly available, and I think there are a lot of people who have no knowledge of the Bridge Program at all,” said Dr. Shauna Levy, medical director of the Tulane Obesity and Weight Loss Center. “And I think it’s going to take patients more time to know that and see if they’re eligible.”

Unlike traditional Medicare drug coverage, enrollment in the Bridge Program is not automatic. Patients must meet eligibility requirements, receive a prescription, and receive prior authorization approval through CMS before coverage begins.

The relatively quiet build-up to the launch stands in contrast to the marketing campaigns Novo and Lilly have run for their obesity and diabetes drugs, which have run everywhere from TV commercials to subway ads.

Novo spent nearly $500 million on U.S. advertising for obesity drug Wigovy and diabetes drug Ozempic in the first nine months of 2025, more than double the more than $200 million Lilly spent promoting competing injectable drugs Zepbound and Munjaro, Reuters reported, citing data from ad tracking firm MediaRadar.

“I’m a little surprised that we haven’t seen more ads for Lilly and Novo aimed at seniors who can get their prescriptions right away,” said Leerink Partners analyst David Reisinger, adding that it takes time to schedule an appointment with a health care provider to get a prescription.

Medicare beneficiaries must enroll in a prescription drug plan, Part D, to be eligible for the new coverage. However, because the Bridge Program is administered directly by CMS rather than Part D plans, private insurance companies do not have to play a role in educating beneficiaries about the new coverage.

“All the marketing benefits of doing a Part D plan just don’t exist,” said Kenneth Thorpe, a health policy professor at Emory University.

He said “getting the word out” about the program and who it targets is likely to be one of the biggest challenges in the rollout.

Although there is a wide range of eligibility for this program, some patients may not be eligible. This includes people who already receive GLP-1 coverage from their Part D plans for uses already covered by Medicare, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease risk reduction, and sleep apnea.

Although advertising for GLP-1 coverage may not reflect previous developments, there are several promotions in advance of its launch.

Jamie Miller, the company’s executive vice president of U.S. operations, said in an interview Wednesday that targeted mentions on social media and Novo’s website are promoting the bridge program.

He acknowledged there are no linear TV ads touting the new coverage, but said he believes patient awareness will come from health care providers and pharmacies. Some doctors say CMS has conducted comprehensive outreach to both parties about future programs.

Miller likened the move to the annual flu vaccine or shingles shots for seniors.

“Seniors who come into a retail pharmacy after July 1st are taking an average of eight different medications, most of which are oral medications, so pharmacists have an opportunity to say, ‘Hey, did you know about Bridge?'” he told CNBC. “So they’re equipped to do it, and (health care providers) can do it as well.”

The limited public availability leading up to July 1 may be intentional. A slow rollout could give doctors, pharmacies, and CMS time to prepare before potentially large numbers of beneficiaries begin seeking treatment.

“Our general philosophy is to make sure doctors are ready, similar to what we did with Foundayo, before we make it widely available to consumers,” Ilya Yuffa, president of Lilly USA and global customer relations, said in an interview Wednesday.

Yuffa was referring to the recent launch of Lilly’s obesity drug Foundayo. He said raising awareness among health care providers and the broader health system would help avoid “friction” between patients and doctors in the first place.

Still, Yuffa said consumers should expect the availability of Foundayo and Lilly’s extensive marketing efforts around a form of Zepbound through the Bridge program.

Some experts suggested that CMS may be trying to ensure it can keep up with the influx of interest. Beneficiaries must obtain prior approval before receiving coverage, and processing those requests can be a significant task if demand spikes shortly after launch.

“Perhaps you should take the first month off and see what mistakes you make so you can fix them instead of being all broken and burnt within a month or two,” said Dr. Holly Lofton, director of the Medical Weight Management Program at New York University Langone.

“The thing is, there is access, and hopefully the world will be okay,” she said.