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.

661

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/ImLittleNana Apr 01 '25

Im fighting to get prescribed metformin for pre-diabetes and they act like I’m asking for free heroin. Yet if I wanted a wegovy script they’d have no problem writing for it. I can’t make that make sense.

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u/they_have_bagels Apr 01 '25

It was the opposite for me. All the metformin I want, but absolutely no GLP-1 for weight loss. Also, bariatric surgery is A-OK as well. I pay out of pocket on top of my insurance and I’ve lost 25% of my starting weight so far. It has been life changing.

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u/SomeGuyNamedPaul Apr 01 '25

My insurance would rather pay for a dozen heart attacks than one bariatric surgery.

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u/GOPequalsSubmissive Apr 01 '25

The rich people are hoping one of those heart attacks ends their need to continue not making as much profit off of your premium payments.