Medicare Begins Covering Weight Loss Drugs for 18 Months

Medicare began covering weight loss drugs including Wegovy and Zepbound today at a $50 monthly copay. The coverage is a short-term workaround to Medicare’s existing ban on weight loss drug coverage and will run for 18 months. Copays under the program do not count toward patients’ deductibles or annual out-of-pocket maximums.

An increase in prescriptions is expected and could create supply shortages while adding millions of dollars in costs for taxpayers.

One year after President Donald Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” the law has changed eligibility for multiple federal programs. The legislation extends roughly $4.5 trillion in tax cuts over 10 years while cutting about $1.1 trillion from healthcare and food assistance programs.

It also increases immigration enforcement funding, revises student loan rules, ends tax incentives for electric vehicles and clean energy, and creates a national school-voucher tax credit.

The Supreme Court blocked an executive order issued by President Trump on his first day in office that sought to limit birthright citizenship. The court ruled 6-3 that the order violated federal law. Five justices found the order violated the 14th Amendment, while Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote that it violated federal law but not the Constitution.

President Trump called on Congress to pass legislation banning birthright citizenship after the decision.