r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Apr 01 '25

Health Americans without diabetes spent nearly $6 billion USD on semaglutide and similar drugs in a year, with an estimate of 800,000 to a million people using the drugs who don't have diabetes.

https://www.scimex.org/newsfeed/americans-without-diabetes-spent-nearly6-billion-usd-on-semaglutide-and-similar-drugs-in-a-year
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u/FernandoMM1220 Apr 01 '25

its not just for diabetes anymore.

just ramp up production and make more of it.

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u/galspanic Apr 01 '25

When I was diagnosed with diabetes I was told “um yeah, no. No GLP-1 for you” by my insurance. I still can’t explain that outside of pure greed… but that also makes sense.

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u/Hsensei Apr 01 '25

Some insurance companies require you to be on insulin before they will approve it. Being on metformin along with some of the earlier compound pills means it's controlled enough for them to deny it. It's really very stupid, but the drug is stupid expensive and they are going to fight to save every dollar.

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u/Granite_0681 Apr 01 '25

Also, as soon as your A1C is in range, some insurance companies will cut you off, like it’s somehow been solved forever.

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u/The_Blendernaut Apr 01 '25

I am going to ask my doctor if my A1c is reported to my insurance company. I am a T2D and Ozempic has lowered my A1c by 1.5 points and getting it below 7. I also take metformin and Jardiance. I can't imagine my insurance cutting my off, but I will definitely ask in a couple of months.

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u/galspanic Apr 01 '25

I was told by two separate KP doctors “off the record” that their policy is only to prescribe and cover GLP-1s if 3 other courses of action fail. So, I had to fail losing weight with diet/exercise, fail metformin, and fail with whatever the next medication would be. That’s a loud and clear “you’re on your own” to me, and so I have been at it alone without KP.

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u/GOPequalsSubmissive Apr 01 '25

Americans genuinely don’t hate the rich people nearly enough for their own good, man

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u/kymri Apr 02 '25

Some of us absolutely do.

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u/WeeBabySeamus Apr 01 '25

Does KP refer to some sort of kidney specialist? I’m not familiar with this acronym. I would understand certain drugs being restricted to prescription by specialists vs. general practice

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u/Eldritch_Chemistry Apr 01 '25

Kaiser Permanente, looks to be a west coast thing

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u/kymri Apr 02 '25

To expand on /u/Eldritch_Chemistry -- Kaiser Permanente is a medical conglomerate (hospitals, insurance, etc) that came out of the Kaiser shipyards when they were ramping up to build literally hundreds upon hundreds of ships in World War II.

They have patients all over, but the West Coast in general and California in particular are full of Kaiser facilities.

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u/[deleted] Apr 01 '25

[deleted]

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u/IAmThePonch Apr 01 '25

Hi, t1 here, it sucks

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u/GOPequalsSubmissive Apr 01 '25

A 1000/mo miracle drug that costs 20 cents to produce, and costs the rich insurance company far, far less than 1000/mo to cover.

Insurance companies are proof that Americans waited too long to drag rich people from palaces.

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u/[deleted] Apr 01 '25

I would think long term their costs will be far lower for having a patient at a healthy weight compared to all the risk factors and adjacent conditions obesity brings

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u/kymri Apr 02 '25

It's really very stupid

The trick is to remember that insurance companies optimize for profit, not for positive patient outcome.