Three weeks from now, on July 1, 2026, millions of older Americans with obesity will gain access to GLP-1 weight-loss medications through Medicare for the first time in the program's 60-year history. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge in May 2026, confirming that eligible Part D enrollees will be able to access certain GLP-1 drugs — including the obesity-specific formulations of semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Zepbound) — for a fixed cost of $50 per month through December 2027.
The development is historic. Under existing law, Medicare Part D cannot cover drugs prescribed solely for weight loss — a statutory prohibition that has stood since Part D's creation in 2006 and has prevented tens of millions of older Americans with obesity from accessing GLP-1 therapies through their Medicare coverage. The GLP-1 Bridge operates as a time-limited payment demonstration outside standard Part D coverage, allowing CMS to test expanding obesity medication access while Congress works on permanent legislative solutions.
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