France Starts Reimbursement of Weight-Loss Drugs for Severely Obese in June
Government Initiative to Support Severely Obese Patients
Announcement and Implementation Timeline
May 28 (Reuters) - France will reimburse the cost of weight-loss drugs for severely obese patients from mid-June, Health Minister Stephanie Rist said on Thursday in an interview with TF1 channel.
Medications Covered Under the Reimbursement
Novo Nordisk's Wegovy and Eli Lilly's Mounjaro are injectable medications that have gained widespread attention globally as anti-obesity treatments.
Key Details of the Reimbursement Plan
- Orders are being finalised and reimbursement is expected to be effective by mid-June.
- Targets patients with a body mass index (BMI) of at least 35 with at least one comorbidity or a BMI of at least 40 regardless of comorbidities.
- Up to 1,000,000 people could benefit from the reimbursements, with prescriptions remaining at the doctor's discretion.
- Reimbursement will be at 65%, though in practice the vast majority of eligible patients benefit from 100% coverage due to comorbidities, Rist said.
- Rist estimates the annual cost to the state at around €100 million at full rollout.
- Patients in France pay around €300 per month for the drugs.
Eligibility Criteria for Patients
Patients must have a BMI of at least 35 with at least one comorbidity, or a BMI of at least 40 regardless of comorbidities, to qualify for the reimbursement program.
Financial Impact and Coverage
Cost to the State and Patients
Rist estimates the annual cost to the state at around €100 million at full rollout. Patients in France currently pay around €300 per month for the drugs, but the reimbursement will significantly reduce their out-of-pocket expenses.
(Reporting by Mathias de Rozario in Gdansk. Editing by Dominique Vidalon and Mark Potter)
