Medicare covers weight loss drugs for 50 a month

On July 1, 2026, Medicare launched the GLP-1 Bridge, a temporary program that lets eligible people on a Medicare Part D drug plan get certain weight loss medicines for a flat 50 dollars a month. The covered drugs are Wegovy, Zepbound, and Foundayo, and the program runs from July 1, 2026 through December 31, 2027. This is a real shift, because Medicare has long been barred by law from covering drugs used only for weight loss, and it has made an exception here through a time-limited pilot. To qualify, you generally need a body mass index of 35 or higher, or a body mass index of 27 or higher along with certain related health conditions. There are a few other rules: you have to be in a Part D plan, you cannot already qualify for GLP-1 coverage for another reason such as Type 2 diabetes, and you cannot have already filled a GLP-1 prescription under your Part D plan earlier this year. The health policy group KFF estimated that about 3.8 million people on Medicare met the eligibility criteria, and that depending on how many actually take part, the program could cost Medicare somewhere between 1.3 billion and 10 billion dollars. Here is the honest read for you. If you have struggled with the cost of these drugs, which can carry list prices around 1,000 dollars a month, a 50 dollar copay is a large change, and it is worth asking your doctor whether you qualify. The catch is the calendar: this is an 18 month pilot, and unless Medicare extends it or Congress changes the law, coverage for weight loss use could end after 2027. So treat it as a window that is open now, not a permanent benefit, and plan with your doctor accordingly.