Ozempic is the most well-known of drug class known as GLP-1 receptor agonists, which are prescribed for treating Type 2 diabetes and obesity. Ozempic is indicated for diabetes but was widely prescribed off-label for weight loss before the emergence of alternative drugs. (Product image courtesy of Novo Nordisk; Photo illustration by Alexander Castro/Rhode Island Current)
Are GLP-1 drugs prescribed for weight loss becoming too outsized a line item for continued coverage through the state Medicaid program? That’s what Gov. Dan McKee’s fiscal year 2027 budget suggests.
Medicaid costs roughly quadrupled between the start of fiscal year 2024 and the end of fiscal year 2025 in per-member monthly payments to Medicaid managed care plans, according to the state’s Executive Office of Health and Human Services, which administers Rhode Island’s Medicaid program…