– Health insurance companies cover the costs for additional weight loss injections – will the premiums increase?
Health insurance companies have been covering the costs of the drug Wegovy since March. This is also good news for diabetics. However, the pressure on premiums could increase.
Published: March 13, 2024, 11:09
Around 11 to 13 percent of adults are affected: In Switzerland, only people who are very or very overweight can receive a prescription for a weight-loss injection.
Foto: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades (Keystone)
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The self-injectable weight loss syringes Ozempic, Saxenda and Wegovy are becoming increasingly popular among overweight people because of their appetite-suppressing effects. The medications were originally developed for diabetics. There was a supply shortage. Swiss health insurance companies now want to address the problem by covering the costs of the “weight loss miracle” Wegovy in addition to Saxenda since March. This should improve the supply situation for diabetics, the majority of whom should therefore resort to the Ozempic weight loss injection, as Gabriela Giacometti from the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG) said to SRF.
In this country, only people who are very or very overweight could receive a prescription for such a weight-loss injection. In Switzerland, according to the BAG, this applies to around 11 to 13 percent of the adult population. In addition to the weight loss injection, those affected undertake to follow a diet and exercise.
Consequences for health insurance premiums?
Giacometti from the BAG expects that the additional costs for basic insurance due to the coverage of another weight loss medication will be in the region of 100 million francs. However, Matthias Müller from Santésuisse estimates the cost burden to be at least three times higher. “We expect additional costs of at least 300 million francs per year if only 2 percent of all adults take Wegovy, and that doesn’t include doctor and other treatment costs,” Müller is quoted in the SRF report.
Despite these concerns, there remains hope that reducing excess weight could lead to fewer complications in the long term, as studies in the field of obesity surgery have already shown.
Treatment of obesity in Switzerland
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