Patients Who Took Weight Loss Medications are Experiencing High Health Costs

Patients who have been prescribed the popular weight loss drugs like Novo Nordisk’s injection Wegovy have experienced their total health-care costs soar, even after they stop taking the medication.

According to an analysis from Prime Therapeutics, the annual health-care cost for patients before they were prescribed a weight loss drug was $12,371 on average. The analysis then revealed that the average cost of health-care increased to $19,657 after patients started treatment.

Additionally, the analysis confirmed that a group of people who did not take weight loss medication saw their health-care costs decrease by 4% during the same time period.

These pricey weight loss drugs are known as GLP-1 agonists. According to CNBC, the drugs “mimic a hormone produced in the gut to suppress a person’s appetite. They can cost more than $1,200 per month out of pocket.

Insured customers also might struggle because although they are not paying full price for the drug, “copayments and deductibles charged by the health plans for the drugs add up over time,” per CNBC.

The weight loss industry has been a popular target for pharmaceutical companies as it has gained extreme popularity over the last couple years. Many influencers and celebrities accredit the drugs in helping them to make weight loss transformations.