Since the province extended coverage for Ozempic in early January, Dr. Yashar Tashakkor, obesity medicine specialist in North Vancouver, has seen a dramatic surge in patent filings asking for the appetite suppressant that has become a hit for rapid weight loss.
“I have many patients who specifically ask about this. I think it’s been popularized on social media, and with the new changes in government approval, it’s given more patients better access,” Tashakkor said.
However, the extended Pharmacare coverage only applies to patients with type 2 diabetes. Everyone else has to pay for the injectable drug.
“The drug isn’t cheap, it costs between $220 and $250 a month, which is significant,” said Tashakkor, adding that it’s not usually covered by private insurance either.
“Although I have a large number of non-diabetics who would benefit from this from an obesity medical point of view, they unfortunately cannot afford it.”
One of Tashakkor’s patients credits Ozempic with helping him lose 60 pounds.
“It’s expensive, it was just something I felt I had to do for my health. And that’s why I keep using it and paying for it,” said Glen Miller, who says his weight loss has improved his blood pressure and sleep apnea.
“Weight can lead to many other issues later that would lead to medical expenses, so from a preventive perspective it would make sense to have those covered by the plans,” Miller said.
Taskakkor argues it is short-sighted for the province and insurance companies to only cover Ozempic for diabetics and not those with chronic obesity.
“Long term, if patients lose 10 to 15 percent of their weight, they’re going to have fewer heart attacks, they’re going to have fewer liver complications,” he said. “If we can prevent chronic disease by intervening earlier, then I would imagine the system and insurance companies would save more money.”
Bariatric surgeon Dr. Ekua Yorke agrees.
“This goes back to treating obesity as a disease. If we intervene early, we can stop the downstream effects. If someone has a malignancy or other condition, we don’t wait until they have stage four diagnosis before intervening,” she said.
“Obesity is often about prevention. If we’re later able to save money for the healthcare system, I see no reason why we shouldn’t intervene,” Yorke added.
Physicians recognize that many patients desire Ozempic for cosmetic weight loss and do not advocate universal coverage.
“There are specific BMI (body mass index) guidelines for this,” Tashakkor said. “It’s not for someone who wants to lose five pounds because they have to go to an event. This is for patients struggling with chronic obesity and it has implications for other aspects of their lives.”
Tashakkor calls on governments and insurance companies to conduct a simple cost-benefit analysis of Ozempic coverage for chronic obesity patients.
“Eventually it will make sense for insurance companies to adopt this to avoid costs from their end,” Tashakkor said, adding, “I expect hopefully that will happen sooner rather than later.”
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