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

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

Starting Wednesday, eligible beneficiaries can get obesity drugs through the new Medicare Bridge demonstration program for just a $50 monthly copay. The filing marks a long-sought victory for patients, doctors and obesity advocates who have pushed for broader access to the blockbuster treatment from Novo Nordisk again Eli Lillywhich remain out of reach for most Americans.

But a staggering 82% of all older Americans — including 79% of Republicans and 84% of Democrats — said they did not know that Medicare would 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 65 and over, was completed just weeks before the government announced it would extend the Bridge program until 2027.

That data may not be surprising: Although the government has made strong connections to health care providers and pharmacists, some doctors and other experts told CNBC they have seen limited advertising of new coverage to the general public from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services or Novo and Lilly.

There may be good reasons for that. CMS limited public access to the program before July 1 because beneficiaries are “more motivated to take action” if they actually receive a benefit, an agency official told reporters Thursday. They added that CMS will issue more promotions after the launch, “in the interest of being good stewards of our taxpayer dollars.”

Some experts also told CNBC that it may come down to making sure providers and pharmacies are prepared and resources are in place before pursuing broader public access.

Still, some experts say a lack of awareness may hold back eligible seniors from taking advantage of the new coverage and getting treatment sooner.

“I haven’t seen a lot of information in the public, and I think there will be a lot of people who don’t know anything about 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 a long time for them to find out about it, and see if it’s worth it.”

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 can begin.

The silence leading up to the release is different from the marketing campaigns Novo and Lilly have historically used for obesity and diabetes drugs, which have appeared everywhere from television commercials to subway ads.

Novo spent nearly $500 million on US marketing for its obesity drug Wegovy and its diabetes partner Ozempic in the first 9 months of 2025, more than double Lilly’s just over $200 million spent on developing rival injectables Zepbound and Mounjaro, Reuters reported, citing company data from MediaRacking.

“I’m a little surprised that there hasn’t been any advertising by Lilly and Novo to seniors that they’re ready to get a prescription,” said Leerink Partners analyst David Risinger, adding that it takes time to book 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 plan is administered directly by CMS instead of Part D plans, private insurers don’t have to play a role in educating beneficiaries about the new coverage.

“All of that marketing benefit of continuing with Part D programs is missing,” said Kenneth Thorpe, a professor of health policy at Emory University.

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

Eligibility for this program is broad, but certain patients may not be eligible. That includes those who already get GLP-1 coverage in their Part D plan to use Medicare, such as Type 2 diabetes, to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease or sleep apnea.

Although GLP-1 advertising may not be visible in previous releases, there has been some promotion prior to launch.

Targeted comments on social media and Novo’s website promote the Bridge program, said Jamey Millar, the company’s vice president of US operations, in an interview Wednesday.

He acknowledged that there are no TV commercials promoting the new coverage, but said he believes patient awareness will come from providers and pharmacies. CMS has made extensive communications to both about the upcoming plan, according to some doctors.

Millar likened the flexibility to an annual flu or shingles shot for adults.

“Any adult who walks into a retail pharmacy after July 1, on average, has eight medications, most of them oral, so the pharmacist has an opportunity to say, did you know about Bridge?” he told CNBC. “So they are equipped to do it, and then [health-care providers] like that.”

Limited public access before July 1 may be by design. A slow rollout would give doctors, pharmacies and CMS time to prepare before large numbers of beneficiaries begin seeking treatment.

“Typically we take the view that let’s make sure doctors are prepared, like we did with Foundayo, before educating consumers,” said Ilya Yuffa, president of Lilly USA and global customer capabilities, in an interview Wednesday.

Yuffa was talking about the recent launch of Lilly’s obesity pill, Foundayo. Building awareness among providers and the broader health care system first helps avoid “conflicts” 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 the one-of-a-kind Zepbound through the Bridge program.

Some experts have suggested that CMS may also try to ensure that the system can handle the influx of interest. Beneficiaries must obtain pre-approval before receiving aid, and processing those applications can be a significant task if demand rises quickly after launch.

“It might be, let’s slow down the first month and see what mistakes we’re making, so we can fix them, rather than everything crashing and burning within a month or two,” said Dr. Holly Lofton, director of the Medical Weight Management Program at NYU Langone.

“The thing is, the reach is there, and hopefully the world will go around,” he said.