New results from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging show that most overweight older adults, ages 50 to 80, would take prescription medication for weight management if it were available to them, but an existing law from 2003 prohibits Medicare from covering weight loss medications. Without insurance, these medications can cost more than $12,000 a year and must be taken long-term to maintain weight loss. Poll director Jeffrey Kullgren, M.D., M.P.H., M.S., comments on the results in this article from the Institute for Health Policy and Innovation.
