GLP-1 Bridge program goes into effect; physicians seek accessible treatment options for obesity

Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS +2 +2 Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Copy article link Save Quick take: Medical providers and lawmakers have seen positive results from individuals using GLP-1s and are seeking insurance coverage for the weight

West Virginia has seen failed GLP-1 coverage attempts due the cost of the medication.

The federal Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program is available for Medicare Part D beneficiaries for $50 a month.

CHARLESTON, W.Va.

— Physicians and lawmakers are seeking further insurance coverage and ways to lessen the cost of GLP-1 medications amid the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program going into effect.

GLP-1 medications are typically used to treat diabetes and obesity by mimicking naturally occurring hormones to regulate energy and weight.

Director for Medical Weight Management at WVU Medicine Laura Davisson said the medication targets the patient’s brain by sending signals saying the body is full, and the gastrointestinal tract by slowing down the digestive process.

“Between working on the brain on hunger, and then working on the actual kind of fullness in your stomach, it really decreases the food intake that people usually consume,” she said.

When physicians prescribe a GLP-1, it is typically used with a customized weight loss plan for the patient.

“In our practice, we will go over all of those aspects of managing the weight, the nutrition, the physical activity, the behavior changes and medical interventions,” she said.

While physicians commonly prescribe GLP-1s to treat obesity and other conditions, many patients struggle to afford the medication.

Davisson said insurance agencies, primarily employer-based ones, stopped covering weight loss medications due to the high cost.

Previously, a Public Employee Insurance Agency PEIA pilot program had ended, halting coverage for weight loss medications.

Since then, there has been a bipartisan effort in the Legislature to provide treatments for obesity.

Del.

Kayla Young, D-Kanawha, introduced legislation in 2024 and 2026 to mandate coverage for GLP-1 medications for those with a valid prescription.

Young said she wants to make every opportunity available for West Virginians, and that individuals have had good responses to GLP-1 medications.

“I think people need access to the medication, and I do think it’s worthwhile,” she said.

“I also think that the state could be negotiating with the companies to kind of try to bring down the cost.” Young added that the state does not take enough preventative measures, and weight loss medications can help minimize other conditions West Virginians may struggle with.

“There’s a lot that we could be doing to be stopping different diseases and different conditions if we were just willing to to help people on the front end,” she said.

Federally, a short-term demonstration program, Medicare GLP-1 Bridge, began July 1 and will run through Dec.

31, 2027.

Rebecca Gouty, West Virginia State Health Insurance Assistance Program director, said individuals under the Medicare Part D prescription drug coverage are provided a monthly prescription for $50 regardless of if the individual is low income or not.

She added that the patient must be prescribed the medication and approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Davisson said Medicare previously only covered some weight loss medication if there was a medical indication such as diabetes, but that the GLP-1 Bridge program allows coverage for obesity.

While physicians have been encouraging patients to eat less and exercise, the body naturally tries to hold on to weight, and can increase feelings of hunger, decrease energy and slow metabolism.

Davisson points toward systemic changes, such as treating obesity as a chronic disease and making exercise options, healthy food and weight loss medications more accessible.

“We need a whole reset in how we think about obesity, because continuing to just blame people and shame them and not give them additional tools is just not working,” she said.

Davisson added that her patients using GLP-1s have reported milestones such as buckling their seatbelts, participating in activities with their family and going to the gym more due to mobility and comfortability being in that space increasing.

“Just seeing all these health benefits and seeing how we can get them off of other medications and just improve their health is really such a rewarding thing,” she said.

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Peptides referenced: Glucagon, GLP-1.