Claim your complimentary gift of my exclusive mini weight care guide today! Link: Weight Care Guide — Dr. Francavilla Show (thedrfrancavillashow.com) What if Medicare finally made GLP-1 medications for weight management more affordable — could this be the moment that changes access for millions of people? Today, we&#x27;re talking about something that&#x27;s been years in the making in the world of obesity care: the expanded coverage of anti-obesity medications for patients on Medicare. Starting July 1st, eligible Medicare beneficiaries have a real opportunity to access GLP-1 receptor agonist medications at a much more affordable monthly cost through a new federal program — and for many patients, this could mark a major shift in access to treatment that&#x27;s historically been limited or completely out of reach under Medicare&#x27;s coverage rules. This change didn&#x27;t happen overnight. It comes after years of advocacy, policy discussions, and ongoing efforts to get obesity recognized as a chronic medical condition that deserves treatment just like any other disease. In this episode, we break down where this program came from, how it connects to the bigger picture of obesity care, who it applies to, and everything you need to know about eligibility, covered medications, and how the process actually plays out in real life. Topics discussed: How the Bridge Program Could Expand Access to Obesity Medications For the First Time, Medicare Is Opening the Door to Obesity Medications The BMI and Health Condition Criteria Why the Reason for Your Prescription Matters Just as Much The Details That Make a Real Difference — Prior BMI and Lifestyle Support The List of Weight Loss Medications Covered by the Bridge Program Want the full breakdown? This episode covers all the details on eligibility, covered medications, and what this program could mean for you or someone you love navigating Medicare and obesity treatment. Find it wherever you get your podcasts — and if it helps, share it with someone who might need to hear it too. Resources mentioned in this episode: GLP-1 Prescribers Guide — CMS Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program Details — CMS Connect with me: Instagram: doctorfrancavilla Facebook: Help Your Patients Lose Weight with Dr. Francavilla Website: Dr. Francavilla Show Youtube: The Doctor Francavilla Show GLP Strong: glpstrong.com

Wegovy, Zepbound, and Foundayo Coverage for Medicare Patients with the Bridge Program

The Dr. Francavilla Show

# Full Transcript

**Podcast:** The Dr. Francavilla Show

## Participants

- **Dr. Carolyn Francavilla** (The Dr. Francavilla Show)

## Transcript

I'm your host, Dr. Carolyn Francavilla, board certified family physician and diplomate with the American Board of Obesity Medicine. I've been helping patients lose weight to treat and prevent medical problems for the last 10 years, and I'm taking what I've learned from them to you. In this podcast, you will learn the science behind why you struggle with your weight and what to do about it, tips for common challenges, work to fight bias about what a healthy weight really is,

and improve your relationship with food and your body. Please remember that while I'm a doctor, I'm not your doctor. This podcast is meant to be informational and nature only, not medical advice. Please seek out care from your physician for your specific needs. Okay, let's get started. Hello, and welcome to this week's episode of The Dr. Francavilla Show.

Today, we are going to talk about something very exciting, which is the expanded coverage of anti-obesity medications or obesity medications for patients who have Medicare. So if you are someone who has Medicare starting July 1st, there is a decent chance you may be able to much more affordably get a GLP-1 medication.

And today, I'm going to cover where this came from, who it applies to, what you need to know, all the details. So thank you for joining me today. So coverage for obesity treatment has been my passion for more than a decade. I was doing advocacy work on this, going to Congress, meeting with representatives long before most people even knew there were obesity medications.

And it has been very exciting to see many more people become passionate in this space in the last couple of years. And we finally have what I consider to be the first major meaningful step forward with what is called the Bridge Program right now. So there is another program called the Balance Program. And this is a program that has been postponed but should kick in hopefully in about a year and a half.

And this program is doing a lot of work to move forward treatment in lifestyle nutrition as well as obesity medication coverage. And it's being done through a program through the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which is also called CMMI. And so that's exciting. That's on the horizon.

But until we get there with this more comprehensive program, in the meantime, the federal government has created this Bridge Program, a Bridge to get us to the Balance Program, in order to start covering medications for patients with obesity. This program is not perfect. We're going to cover, again, who qualifies, who doesn't, what meds are covered. But it is such a huge step forward. And, again, this is for patients with Medicare.

So this is going to be predominantly seniors, though some people who have a disability may also have Medicare as their insurance. Okay? So if you are one of these people or yo...

Wegovy, Zepbound, and Foundayo Coverage for Medicare Patients with the Bridge Program

Transcript

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Wegovy, Zepbound, and Foundayo Coverage for Medicare Patients with the Bridge Program

Transcript

Built for investment professionals

Every day you wait, your competitors are findingedge in conversations you're not hearing.

Every day you wait, your competitors are finding
edge in conversations you're not hearing.