In a surprise win for Trump, CMS starts process to approve obesity drug coverage

Republished with permission from American Wire News Service

In a move that could reshape the landscape of healthcare policy, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) has proposed a rule to reinterpret the exclusion of anti-obesity medications (AOMs) from Medicare and Medicaid coverage to allow anti-obesity drugs to be covered.

While the vast majority of last-minute proposed rules from the Biden Administration have been panned—including Biden’s approval of California’s plan to ban all gas cars—House and Senate Republican sources expressed optimism that CMS’s move is a potential game-changer for President Trump’s healthcare agenda.

A Senate legislative advisor who works on healthcare issues said, “In what is perhaps the first sane thing to come out of Biden’s CMS, expanding access to GLP drugs has been a conservative priority because it means hundreds of billions in savings on obesity costs, while not growing the state.”

The financial aspects are substantial, with estimates suggesting that up to 7.4 million Americans could gain access to these life-changing medications. A House Republican staffer said, “Trump will get long-term credit for the drop in diabetes and heart disease, which means Republicans as a whole can run on this in the 2026 midterms.”

The policy’s timing, just before the transition of power, positions President-elect Donald Trump to finalize and enact this rule, and claim it as a victory. A source close to the Trump Transition Team expressed enthusiasm, stating, “Trump is on board, Elon Musk is on board, and the voters are on board. This is a win, and Biden was too slow to finalize it. We’re taking advantage.”

This rule would not only offer new treatment options for obesity but also signal a shift towards recognizing obesity as a chronic condition. It’s a move that could resonate well with the public, given the rising prevalence of obesity-related health issues in the U.S.

The public comment period for the rule is set to end shortly after Trump’s inauguration, providing a narrow window for the new administration to act. If adopted, this policy could lead to increased use of anti-obesity drugs, leading to more competition and lower prices.

A Republican campaign operative said, “Republicans are going to get to run on securing the border, getting inflation under control, and actually Making America Healthy Again. This isn’t just good for the midterms, our agenda means that we can fundamentally reshape our political alignment to be the party that delivers, while the Democrats become a minor player as the party of crime and inflation.”

A 2024 Joint Economic Committee report estimates obesity will cost the nation $8.2–$9.1 trillion in excess medical expenses over the next decade. Lost productivity and reduced labor supply may shrink the U.S. economy by $13.5–$14.7 trillion in the same period.

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