Indiana only state to join federal program to offer GLP-1 drugs through Medicaid

President Donald Trump’s pledge to make new but pricey weight-loss drugs widely available for low-income Americans isn’t panning out as planned (Source: “Trump offered state Medicaid programs lower prices on weight-loss drugs. Most are rejecting the deal.,” Politico, Aug. 22).
 
Trump promised last year that Americans on Medicaid would soon gain access to drugs known as GLP-1s, like Wegovy and Zepbound, if the states where they live signed on with his administration’s plan to negotiate prices directly with manufacturers.
 
Nine months later, Medicaid patients’ access to the drugs has shrunk. Only Indiana has publicly signed on with the administration. Some states have stopped covering the medications for Medicaid patients who need them for weight loss. Others are considering ending coverage. Most states told POLITICO they will not participate.
 
Indiana plans to begin offering the drugs by the start of next year. Ohio and six other states — Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Montana, Tennessee and Virginia — told POLITICO they’re still deciding whether to participate.
 
Twenty-nine state Medicaid programs said they will not participate in the Trump administration payment model, with many citing costs and budgetary pressures. Five of those states already cover GLP-1s for obesity with varying restrictions. The remaining 14 states did not respond to requests for comment. CMS declined to provide a list of participating states.
 
States opting out of coverage — including Maine, New Mexico and Oklahoma — cited budget constraints and concerns about the long-term financial sustainability of Trump’s model.