News Release

Recent changes to insurance coverage for obesity management medications have forced thousands of Americans living with obesity into a choice they shouldn't ever have to face: stop taking a safe and effective medicine they and their health care providers chose, or pay out of pocket to continue on their preferred medication.

We don’t believe this is right. In an environment where people with obesity often struggle to access obesity management medications, these abrupt changes only make things more difficult.

Payer-driven obesity management treatment decisions often undermine a health care provider’s ability to choose the most appropriate treatments, disrupt ongoing care for current patients, and leave those with other conditions, such as obstructive sleep apnea, without any viable medicine or facing high out-of-pocket costs to stay on treatment.

Unfortunately, these recent decisions are not the only example of coverage dictating health care providers' and patients' decisions regarding obesity management-- they are everywhere. Medicare doesn't cover any obesity management medications, and only a handful of states provide coverage for Medicaid patients. And even when a pharmacy benefit manager has opted to add an obesity management medication to its formulary, employers must – but often don't – take the additional step of opting in to coverage. This isn't about just one medicine, formulary, or insurance plan. It's about a system that limits patients' and health care providers' ability to choose an obesity management treatment plan that is best for them.

At Lilly, we create medicines that make people better. And we are committed to making the best medicines available to patients who need them. But our efforts in making medicines won’t matter if people cannot access the medicines they need.

When it comes to obesity care:

1. We stand for open access to obesity management medications according to the labeled indication.
2. We believe coverage decisions should be based on clinical evidence, and treatment decisions left up to health care providers and their patients.
3. We believe in offering creative solutions and innovative pricing approaches to insurance companies, PBMs and employers to help expand access to more patients.
4. We believe access to evidence-based obesity management medications should be covered just like treatments for other chronic diseases.

While we are committed to improving access to obesity medicines, we cannot do it alone. Lilly urges health care, government and others in the industry to advance evidence-based obesity care policies and find creative solutions that help people with obesity access the medicines they need. It’s time for policy and coverage to align with the latest scientific advancements in obesity.

If you’ve been affected by recent changes to your coverage, we have resources available to help navigate options in a complex and evolving access environment. To learn more, please visit the Zepbound website.

Everyone, including those living with obesity, deserves a chance at health.

About Lilly
Lilly is a medicine company turning science into healing to make life better for people around the world. We've been pioneering life-changing discoveries for nearly 150 years, and today our medicines help tens of millions of people across the globe. Harnessing the power of biotechnology, chemistry and genetic medicine, our scientists are urgently advancing new discoveries to solve some of the world's most significant health challenges: redefining diabetes care; treating obesity and curtailing its most devastating long-term effects; advancing the fight against Alzheimer's disease; providing solutions to some of the most debilitating immune system disorders; and transforming the most difficult-to-treat cancers into manageable diseases. With each step toward a healthier world, we're motivated by one thing: making life better for millions more people. That includes delivering innovative clinical trials that reflect the diversity of our world and working to ensure our medicines are accessible and affordable. To learn more, visit Lilly.com and Lilly.com/news, or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.