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

Millions of older Americans in Medicare are about to gain access to obesity drugs for the first time — but that landmark shift may be flying under the radar for many of them. 

Starting Wednesday, eligible beneficiaries can get obesity drugs through Medicare’s new Bridge demonstration program for a monthly copay of just $50. The coverage marks a long-sought victory for patients, physicians and obesity advocates who have pushed for broader access to the blockbuster treatments from Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly, which have remained out of reach for many Americans.

But a staggering 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 drugs, 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 ages 65 and older, was completed weeks before the government announced it would extend the Bridge program through 2027.

That data may not come as a surprise: While the government has done robust outreach to healthcare providers and pharmacists, some physicians 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 it. CMS has done limited public outreach on the program ahead of July 1 because beneficiaries are “most moved to take action” when a benefit is actually available to them, an agency official told reporters on Thursday. They added that CMS will put out more promotions after the launch, “in the interest of being good stewards of our taxpayer dollars.” 

Other experts also told CNBC that it may come down to 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 may delay some eligible adults from taking advantage of the new coverage and getting on the treatments immediately.

“I have not seen a lot of information out there for the public, and I think there are going to be plenty of people who have zero 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 just going to take even longer for them to find out about it, 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 approval through CMS before coverage begins. 

The relatively quiet lead-up to the rollout stands in contrast to the marketing campaigns Novo and Lilly have historically deployed for their obesity and diabetes medicines, which have appeared everywhere from television commercials to subway advertisements.

Novo spent nearly $500 million on U.S. advertising for its obesity drug Wegovy and its diabetes counterpart Ozempic in the first 9 months of 2025, more than double the just over $200 million Lilly spent promoting its rival injections, Zepbound and Mounjaro, Reuters reported, citing data from the ad-tracking firm MediaRadar. 

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

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

“All of that marketing advantage of having it run through the Part D plans doesn’t exist,” said Kenneth Thorpe, health policy professor at Emory University.

He said “getting the word out” about the program and who is eligible will likely be among the largest challenges of the rollout. 

The eligibility for the program is broad, but certain patients will not qualify. That includes those already receiving coverage of a GLP-1 from their Part D plan for a use already covered by Medicare, such as Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease risk reduction or sleep apnea.

While advertising of the GLP-1 coverage may not mirror previous rollouts, there has been some promotion ahead of the launch.

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

He acknowledged that no linear TV ads are promoting the new coverage, but said he believes awareness among patients will come from providers and pharmacies. CMS has done comprehensive outreach to both about the upcoming program, according to some physicians. 

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

“Any seniors that walk into a retail pharmacy post-July 1, on average, they’re on eight medications, most of them oral, so the pharmacist has an opportunity to say, did you know about Bridge?” he told CNBC. “So they’re equipped to do it, and then [health-care providers] as well.”

The limited public outreach ahead of July 1 may be by design. A slower rollout could give physicians, pharmacies and CMS time to prepare before a potentially large number of beneficiaries begin seeking treatment.

“We typically take the view that let’s make sure that the physicians are prepared, similar to what we did with Foundayo, before getting broad awareness for consumers,” Ilya Yuffa, president of Lilly USA and global customer capabilities, said in an interview on Wednesday. 

Yuffa was referring to the recent launch of Lilly’s obesity pill, Foundayo. Building awareness among providers and the broader healthcare system first helps avoid “friction” between patients and physicians, he said.

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

Some experts suggested CMS may also be trying to ensure the program can handle an influx of interest. Beneficiaries must obtain prior authorization before receiving coverage, and processing those requests could become a significant undertaking if demand surges immediately after launch.

“It may be, let’s get the first month down and see what mistakes we make, so we can fix it, rather than everything crashes and burns within a month or two,” said Dr. Holly Lofton, director of the Medical Weight Management Program at NYU Langone.

“The thing is, the access is there, and hopefully the world will get around,” she said.