$50 Weight-Loss Drugs Could Reach Millions of Seniors
- Medicare’s new Bridge program is offering weight-loss drugs for $50 per month, and over 500,000 seniors have already enrolled — saving $216 million combined and potentially generating up to $1.2 billion a year for Eli Lilly, according to a Jefferies analyst.
- Eligibility criteria include a BMI of 35+ (or lower with related health conditions), and while the non-profit Kaiser Family Foundation estimates 3.8 million seniors qualify, Lilly’s own estimate of 20 million suggests many more may be eligible than currently known.
- Dr. Neil Iyengar tells SurvivorNet, “Diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes are essential for maintaining a healthy weight, but reaching that level of weight loss can be incredibly difficult for many. That’s why the discussion also includes tools like GLP-1 receptor agonists and bariatric surgery [weight loss surgery], which can help support the kind of significant weight loss associated with lowering cancer risk.”
- SurvivorNet’s sister site, SNWeightloss, provides a wide range of expert-driven resources on GLP-1 medications, including how they function, their potential uses, side effects, and emerging research that continues to offer hope for people managing weight loss while also potentially lowering cancer risk.
- If you’re considering a weight-loss medication, talk with your health care team about whether it is right for you and how nutrition and regular physical activity can support your overall treatment plan. For more answers to your health questions, explore SurvivorNet’s proprietary AI tool, “My Health Questions.”
According to a report by Fierce Pharma, more than 500,000 seniors have used the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program since it launched on July 1.
Read MoreHere’s how the pricing works: patients pay $50 per month, while Medicare pays drugmakers $245 per month for these drugs.
Early data suggest most enrollees are filling their prescriptions regularly, though it’s too soon to know how many will continue treatment long term.
No one has released exact numbers on how many Bridge patients are using Eli Lilly’s drugs versus Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy. But since Lilly’s drugs already make up about 60% of the weight-loss drug market overall, they’re likely just as popular among Bridge enrollees.
Who’s Eligible for the Bridge Program
The Bridge program is a temporary Medicare pilot that runs through the end of 2027, designed to give seniors access to GLP-1 drugs for weight loss — a category Medicare has historically been barred from covering.
As per Medicare.gov, to qualify, patients generally need a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher. Those with a lower BMI may still be eligible if they have certain related conditions, such as heart failure, uncontrolled high blood pressure, chronic kidney disease, or prediabetes. Patients who already have a GLP-1 medication covered by Medicare for a different condition — such as type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, or fatty liver disease — do not qualify under Bridge, since coverage for weight loss specifically is what’s new here.
Three medications are currently included in the program: Eli Lilly’s Zepbound (tirzepatide, an injectable) and Foundayo (orforglipron, an oral pill), along with Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy, available in both injectable and pill forms.
There’s also real uncertainty about how many seniors could ultimately benefit. The health policy research group KFF estimates roughly 3.8 million Medicare beneficiaries meet the eligibility criteria. Eli Lilly, however, has cited a far larger figure — around 20 million eligible patients —in investor materials published on its investor relations site.
Why that matters for patients: if Lilly’s estimate is closer to accurate, many more seniors than currently expected may qualify and simply not know it yet.
GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) — drugs like Ozempic (semaglutide) — were originally developed to treat type 2 diabetes. They work by mimicking a natural hormone that regulates blood sugar and appetite, helping people feel fuller for longer. Beyond diabetes management, they’ve become widely used for weight loss.
SurvivorNet’s sister website, SNWeightloss, offers a ton of helpful resources and physician expertise on GLP-1s, including how they work, how they can be used, their known side effects, and the latest research offering added hope for people on their weight-loss journeys while reducing their cancer risk.
Understanding GLP-1 Receptor Agonists & How They Work
GLP-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1RAs) are a group of medications primarily used to manage type 2 diabetes. They help lower blood sugar levels by mimicking a natural hormone that regulates insulin release and appetite.
It’s important to note that there are a variety of drugs available right now for weight loss, such as Novo Nordisk’s semaglutide — sold under the brand names Ozempic, Wegovy, and Rybelsus — and Eli Lilly’s tirzepatide — sold under the brand names Mounjaro and Zepbound.
Others include phentermine (Adipex-P, Lomaira), a prescription medication that reduces appetite; Contrave (naltrexone/bupropion); and bupropion (the generic form of Wellbutrin).
Additionally, an oral (pill) form of semaglutide is reaching a broader patient population after the FDA approved the pill in 2025.
GLP-1 RAs mimic a hormone your body naturally makes (called glucagon-like peptide-1) that helps regulate blood sugar and feelings of hunger. Initially developed to treat type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar levels, these medications were later found to have an impressive effect on appetite control. As a result, many people who take them lose significant amounts of weight.
“GLP-1 … is a hormone that is secreted in the L cells of the intestines, and we all make GLP-1 after we start to eat a meal,” Dr. Holly Lofton, Director of the Medical Weight Management Program at NYU Langone in Manhattan, previously told SurvivorNet.
“After food reaches the stomach, the stomach sends GLP-1 to the brain to signal that hunger is no longer present, and the person starts to feel more full. In the hypothalamus, specifically in the brain, once the brain receives that GLP-1, it sends a message to the person to stop eating.”
The native GLP-1 that our bodies make and the GLP-1 agonists go to the brain and block appetite signals, go to the stomach to help it empty more slowly, and help shrink fat cells, Dr. Lofton added.
And weight reduction is not the only effect these medications may have.
Researchers are learning that GLP-1 RAs could also influence other behaviors — such as smoking or alcohol use — and possibly reduce certain health risks that come with obesity. In fact, several large studies show that people taking GLP-1 RAs have better heart health, lower rates of kidney problems, and may even be less likely to develop some types of cancer.
Should You Consider a GLP-1 RA?
Deciding on a weight loss approach — whether it’s lifestyle modifications, medication, or surgery — is highly personal. Some points to consider with your healthcare team include:
- Your Overall Health: Do you have type 2 diabetes or other chronic conditions affected by weight? GLP-1 RAs can improve blood sugar control and lower cardiovascular risks, in addition to promoting weight loss.
- Cancer Risks: If you have a strong family history or other risk factors for obesity-related cancers, long-term medication use might offer extra benefits — but the evidence, while promising, is still growing.
- Commitment and Cost: These medications often require lifelong use to maintain weight loss. Make sure you feel comfortable with the potential side effects, follow-up visits, and ongoing costs.
- Alternatives: Bariatric surgery [weight loss surgery], structured lifestyle changes, and other treatments may also reduce cancer risk and help you lose weight. Talk with your doctor about which option is best suited to your overall health and personal goals.
GLP-1 receptor agonists are powerful tools in the fight against obesity. Emerging research suggests they may also help reduce the risk of certain cancers associated with excess weight, potentially to a degree that mirrors — or, in some respects, surpasses — that of bariatric surgery. However, questions remain about long-term adherence, muscle loss, side effects, and whether the benefits persist after stopping the medication.
If you’re considering a GLP-1 RA, it’s crucial to have a thorough discussion with your healthcare provider about the benefits, risks, and costs of treatment. Together, you can map out a plan that helps you achieve healthier weight control, lowers your risk for certain obesity-related cancers, and enhances your overall well-being for the long run.
Weight Loss & Cancer Risk
Researchers are continuing to uncover important connections between weight and cancer risk.
A study published in JAMA highlights the powerful connection between obesity and cancer: obesity is linked to roughly 10% of all new cancer diagnoses in the United States each year, and for certain cancer types, it may be a contributing factor in nearly half of all diagnoses.
For oncologists, the findings provide a more nuanced view of what counts as meaningful weight loss.
“One of the biggest takeaways from this paper is that people with classical obesity often need to lose more than 10% of their body weight to meaningfully reduce cancer risk,” Dr. Neil Iyengar, Associate Professor, Co-director of Breast Medical Oncology, and Director of Cancer Survivorship at Emory Winship Cancer Institute, tells SurvivorNet.
“Diet, exercise, and lifestyle changes are essential for maintaining a healthy weight, but reaching that level of weight loss can be incredibly difficult for many. That’s why the discussion also includes tools like GLP-1 receptor agonists and bariatric surgery [weight loss surgery], which can help support the kind of significant weight loss associated with lowering cancer risk.”
Iyengar is open to the idea of testing the effectiveness of GLP-1 agonists in oncology and figuring out how safe they are in battling cancer, previously telling SurvivorNet, “I don’t think that there’s mechanistically anything that’s particularly worrisome. GLP-1 agonists do a lot of things that we don’t fully understand yet.”
Dr. Samantha Newman, at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, also spoke with SurvivorNet on this matter, explaining, “GLPs are amazing medications. They change people’s lives regarding cardiac risk and diabetes. They have widespread benefits.”
WATCH: The Key Factors For Weight Loss On New Blockbuster Drugs
GLP-1 medications like Ozempic work through mechanisms that extend beyond the scale. Dr. Lofton points to a broad range of documented benefits.
“Some of the benefits for using GLP-1 agonists can be weight loss, improvement in glycemic control or blood glucose, decreased risk of weight-related conditions such as various cancers, like breast cancer, endometrial cancer, colon cancer, liver disease,” Dr. Lofton tells SurvivorNet.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, “Being overweight or having obesity are linked with a higher risk of getting 13 types of cancer.”
WATCH: NYU’s Dr. Holly Lofton explains what we do know about GLP-1RAs and cancer risk
Research published in the journal “Cancers” says that “obesity also increases the risk of dying from cancer and may influence the treatment choices. About 4–8% of all cancers are attributed to obesity.”
Some of the cancers associated with being overweight or obese include:
- Colon
- Breast
- Ovarian
- Esophagus
- Pancreatic
- Multiple myeloma
- Endometrial
- Liver
WATCH: Living a healthy lifestyle.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), fat tissue “produces excess amounts of estrogen,” which is associated with an increased risk of certain cancers, including breast, ovarian, and endometrial cancer. The NCI says a person who is severely obese is “7 times” more likely to be diagnosed with endometrial cancer.
Obesity is associated with high levels of insulin, which can lead to colon, kidney, prostate, and endometrial cancer.
Obesity can affect cancer survivors in various ways, including the chance of cancer recurrence and overall quality of life.
To learn more about your ideal healthy weight, determine your body mass index (BMI).
Body weight exceeding what body mass index deems appropriate for your height and weight can help determine body fat content. Although your BMI can help you determine whether you are at a healthy weight, underweight, overweight, or obese, other factors may also affect your overall health.
The NCI analyzed several studies to observe the impact of physical activity on overall cancer risk. The NCI says that “higher levels of physical activity are linked to lower risk of several types of cancer.”
Regular exercise, a balanced diet, and stress management are some ways people can lead a healthy life. For cancer survivors, a healthier lifestyle alongside getting regular checks for recurrence may improve their quality of life.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
Learn more about SurvivorNet's rigorous medical review process.
