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Novo Nordisk Seeks Wider Insurance Coverage for Weight-Loss Drugs
The company is pressing U.S. insurers to cover more of the cost of its GLP-1 medications. Direct consumer purchases now make up 30 percent of injectable sales and 90 percent of the new Wegovy pill.
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Novo Nordisk is seeking broader insurance coverage for its weight-loss medications in the United States. The company’s U.S. executive vice president said the goal is an even split between insured and self-pay segments. Wegovy carries a list price of about $1,350 per month, though the company plans to cut that price to $675 in 2027.
Self-pay users can already obtain the drug for $149 monthly through discount programs.
Employers and health plans have resisted covering the medications because of their high cost. Some insurers, including Cigna, have notified employees they will end coverage in July. Novo has offered pricing discounts and is working with payers to keep future cost increases predictable.
Medicare will begin a pilot program in July that covers GLP-1 drugs for weight loss alone for the first time. Enrollees will pay $50 per month under the two-year program, which runs through 2027. The company declined to estimate how many additional prescriptions the pilot may generate.
Patient demand for the drugs to treat severe fatty liver disease, already covered by some plans, remains a small but growing portion of sales.
