The Biden administration has come up with a new idea to help people who are overweight. They want Medicare and Medicaid to cover the cost of weight loss drugs for people who need them. This would make it much cheaper for people to get these drugs, which can be really expensive right now.

Medicare usually doesn't pay for weight loss drugs unless they are used to treat conditions like diabetes. But the Biden administration wants to change that by saying that these drugs should be treated as medicine for a serious, long-term disease called obesity.

If this change happens, it would mean that about 3. 4 million people on Medicare and 4 million people on Medicaid could get these drugs. That's a lot of people! But it might not happen right away, as there is a 60-day period for people to share their thoughts on the idea.

Some people are worried that this could cost a lot of money. For example, Senator Bernie Sanders thinks it might make the healthcare system go bankrupt. But other experts don't think that will happen. They say that if people can get these drugs, it might help them avoid other expensive health problems in the future.

These drugs work by making people feel full, so they eat less. There are many different types of these drugs, and they are being studied to see if they can help with other health problems too.

Biden's Plan: Making Weight Loss Drugs Affordable for Seniors and the Needy

Actions