Written by Nancy Glick, Director of Food & Nutrition, National Consumers League
Prescription drug affordability and access are increasingly on the minds of state lawmakers, especially when it comes to covering GLP-1 weight loss drugs.
This is now the case in Kentucky where Governor Andy Beshear’s administration has proposed ending the prohibition in state law that prevents GLP-1 weight loss drugs from being covered by Medicaid. While this step has the potential to improve the lives of many Kentuckians, some state lawmakers worry about added costs and oppose the change.
The truth is the debate among Kentucky lawmakers is not unique. Even though obesity is the nation’s most common and costly chronic disease, it is often discounted as a serious health issue and thus, obesity remains largely undiagnosed and undertreated. This is why the National Consumers League joined forces with leading obesity specialists to issue the first Obesity Bill of Rights for the nation on January 31, 2024. Specifically, the Obesity Bill of Rights defines quality obesity care as the right of all adults and establishes eight essential rights, including the right to coverage for the range of obesity treatment options specified in medical guidelines.
Now, due to our work in developing the Obesity Bill of Rights, NCL hopes that our understanding of the benefits of treatment and what GLP-1s now cost will overcome many concerns Kentucky lawmakers have posed about lifting the ban on Medicaid coverage of anti-obesity medications. Here is what we know:
– Today, an estimated 37 percent of the adult population – or 1.3 million Kentuckians – have obesity. Accordingly, Kentucky ranks 7th among the states most affected by this disease.
-Due to the number of adults affected by obesity, medical costs for those with obesity average $1,429 more than those at a healthy weight. Moreover, because obesity worsens the outcomes of more than 230 other chronic diseases, untreated obesity costs the state $6.9 billion annually in health expenditures.
-GLP-1 weight loss drugs are cost-effective, according to a 2025 evidence report from The Institute for Clinical and Economic Review (ICER) on comparative effectiveness and value.
-Covering anti-obesity medications through Medicaid saves the state money. According to the Kentuckiana Health Collaborative, treatments that produce a 5 percent to 25 percent weight loss could save Kentucky between $4 billion to $13.4 billion in medical costs over 10 years.
-Treating obesity will improve the health of Kentuckians and reduce the rates of chronic disease. Today, there is substantial evidence that a modest weight loss of 5-10 percent reduces LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood. Similarly, a 10-15 percent weight loss achieves a maximum therapeutic benefit for cardiovascular disease, GERD and such conditions as urinary stress incontinence. Additionally, a 15-20 percent weight loss produces remission of type 2 diabetes and a maximum therapeutic benefit for congestive heart failure and cardiovascular mortality.
Finally, the cost of GLP-1 drugs has decreased significantly. Thus, estimates of $1,000 a month for treatment are out-of-date. As of 2026, cash prices for monthly supplies of injectable semaglutide (Wegovy©) and tirzepatide (Zepbound©) are between $299 and $499 depending on the dose. As for the new pill version, the price varies by dosage between $149 and $299 a month and is expected to have a co-pay of $25 or less with insurance. Moreover, due to agreements with the White House, officials announced that the injectable GLP-1s will cost $245 per month, and the new pill will cost $145 a month with co-pays as low as $50 a month for Medicare enrollees.
Due to these facts, the National Consumers League appeals to Kentucky lawmakers to ensure that an essential right established by the Obesity Bill of Rights – “the Right to Coverage for Treatment” – applies to Kentuckians. The price tag for keeping the ban on coverage of GLP-1 weight loss drugs is much too high.
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Nancy Glick is Director of Food & Nutrition at the National Consumers League and leads the organization’s policy efforts on combating obesity.