Medicare to Cover Wegovy and Zepbound for Obesity Treatment at $50 Monthly Copay Starting July 1

Medicare is advertising that adults 65 and older can obtain Wegovy and Zepbound for weight loss starting in July for $50 a month. The agency has not disclosed how much the coverage will cost taxpayers, who will pay most of the bill. The temporary coverage sidesteps federal law.

Medicare’s “GLP-1 Bridge” program begins July 1 and continues through Dec. 31, 2027. The Trump administration initially planned to test coverage through Medicare Advantage and prescription drug plans.

Health insurers operating those plans declined to participate because of high potential costs. The drugs will instead be covered solely by taxpayers and the beneficiaries who fill prescriptions. Wegovy is manufactured by Novo Nordisk and Zepbound is manufactured by Eli Lilly.

The coverage is expected to add millions of new patients and generate billions of dollars in revenue for the two manufacturers over the next 18 months, according to Stat reporter Bob Herman. Medicare still has not released cost estimates for the program. The article by Bob Herman was published June 1, 2026.