Medicare will soon cover obesity medications, but many seniors may not know it

Millions of older Americans on Medicare are about to gain access to obesity medications for the first time – but the historic change may go unnoticed for many of them.

Starting Wednesday, eligible beneficiaries can get obesity medications through Medicare’s new Bridge Demonstration Program for a monthly copay of just $50. This media coverage marks a long-sought victory for patients, doctors and obesity advocates who have pushed for wider access to blockbuster treatments. Novo Nordisk And Elie Lillywhich have remained out of reach for many Americans.

But 82% of all older Americans — including 79% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats — say they are unaware that Medicare is about to begin covering obesity medications, according to a survey released in early June by the Obesity Care Advocacy Network. The survey, conducted in late March among more than 2,100 adults aged 65 and over, was completed weeks before the government announced it would extend the Bridge program until 2027.

The data may not come as a surprise: While the government has conducted intensive outreach to health care providers and pharmacists, some doctors and other experts told CNBC that they have noticed limited advertising of the new coverage to the general public from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or Novo and Lilly.

There may be good reasons for this. CMS conducted limited public outreach on the program before July 1 because beneficiaries have “more incentive to act” when a benefit is actually available to them, an agency official told reporters Thursday. They added that CMS will offer more promotions after launch, “in the interest of being good stewards of our taxpayers’ dollars.”

Other experts also told CNBC that it may be a matter of making sure providers and pharmacies are prepared and resources are in place before pursuing broad public outreach.

Still, some experts say the lack of awareness could delay some eligible adults from taking advantage of the new coverage and starting treatments immediately.

“I haven’t seen a lot of information aimed at the public, and I think there will be a lot of people who will have no knowledge of the Bridge program,” said Dr. Shauna Levy, medical director of the Tulane Bariatric and Weight Loss Center. “And I think for patients, it’s going to take even longer for them to learn more and then see if they’re eligible.”

Unlike traditional Medicare drug coverage, enrollment in the Bridge program is not automatic. Patients must meet eligibility requirements, obtain a prescription, and receive prior authorization through CMS before coverage begins.

The relatively quiet period leading up to the rollout contrasts with the marketing campaigns that Novo and Lilly have historically deployed for their obesity and diabetes drugs, which have appeared everywhere from television commercials to subway ads.

Novo spent nearly $500 million on advertising in the United States for its obesity drug Wegovy and its diabetes counterpart Ozempic in the first 9 months of 2025, more than double the $200 million spent by Lilly to promote its rival shots, Zepbound and Mounjaro, Reuters reported, citing data from ad tracking firm MediaRadar.

“I was a little surprised there hasn’t been more publicity from Lilly and Novo to get seniors ready to get their prescription,” said David Risinger, an analyst at Leerink Partners, adding that it takes time to make an appointment with a provider to get one.

Medicare beneficiaries must be enrolled in Part D, a prescription drug plan, to be eligible for the new coverage. But because the Bridge program is administered directly by CMS rather than through Part D plans, private insurers do not need to play a role in educating beneficiaries about the new coverage.

“This whole marketing advantage of having it work under Part D plans doesn’t exist,” said Kenneth Thorpe, a health policy professor at Emory University.

He said “getting the word out” about the program and knowing who is eligible for it will likely be one of the biggest challenges of the rollout.

Eligibility for the program is broad, but some patients will not qualify. This includes those who already have GLP-1 coverage from their Part D plan for use already covered by Medicare, such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease risk reduction, or sleep apnea.

Although publicity regarding GLP-1 coverage does not necessarily reflect previous deployments, promotions were conducted prior to launch.

Targeted mentions on social media and Novo’s website advertise the Bridge program, Jamey Millar, executive vice president of the company’s U.S. operations, said in an interview Wednesday.

He acknowledged that there are no linear TV ads promoting the new coverage, but said he believes patient awareness will come from providers and pharmacies. According to some doctors, CMS has conducted extensive outreach to both doctors about the upcoming program.

Millar compared this dynamic to the annual flu shot or shingles vaccine for older adults.

“Every senior who walks into a retail pharmacy after July 1 takes an average of eight medications, most of them orally, so the pharmacist has an opportunity to say, did you know about Bridge?” he told CNBC. “So they’re equipped to do that, and then [health-care providers] Also.”

The limited public awareness before July 1 may be intentional. A slower rollout could give doctors, pharmacies and CMS time to prepare before a potentially large number of beneficiaries begin seeking treatment.

“We generally believe in making sure physicians are prepared, as we did with Foundayo, before we do broad consumer awareness,” Ilya Yuffa, president of Lilly USA and global client capabilities, said in an interview Wednesday.

Yuffa was referring to the recent launch of Lilly’s obesity pill, Foundayo. Raising awareness among providers and the health system as a whole first helps avoid “friction” between patients and doctors, he said.

Still, Yuffa said consumers should expect to see broader marketing efforts from Lilly around the availability of Foundayo and some form of Zepbound through the Bridge program.

Some experts have suggested that CMS could also try to ensure the program can handle an influx of interest. Beneficiaries must obtain pre-authorization before receiving coverage, and processing these applications could become a significant undertaking if demand increases immediately after launch.

“Maybe it’s the case, let’s shorten the first month and see what mistakes we make, so we can fix them, rather than everything crashing and burning in a month or two,” said Dr. Holly Lofton, director of the medical weight management program at NYU Langone.

“The fact is that access exists and I hope the world gets through this,” she said.