The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has started the Bridge demonstration program. This initiative allows eligible Medicare patients to access GLP-1 medications to treat obesity.

美國醫療保險和醫療補助服務中心 (CMS) 已啟動 Bridge 示範計劃。此計畫允許合資格的 Medicare 患者使用 GLP-1 藥物治療肥胖症。

The Bridge program creates a temporary way to provide Medicare coverage for obesity drugs, which were previously banned by federal rules. Patients are eligible if they have a body mass index (BMI) of 35 or higher, or a lower BMI with other health issues like prediabetes or heart disease. These patients can access the therapy for a standard $50 monthly copayment, which is funded by taxpayers instead of private insurance. While Humana manages the authorizations, doctors must certify that the patient is eligible.

Bridge 計劃創造了一種臨時方式，為肥胖症藥物提供 Medicare 保障，而這些藥物此前被聯邦法規禁止。若患者的身體質量指數 (BMI) 為 35 或更高，或 BMI 較低但患有糖尿病前期或心臟病等其他健康問題，則符合資格。這些患者每月僅需支付 50 美元的標準共付額即可接受治療，該費用由納稅人而非私人保險公司資助。雖然由 Humana 管理授權，但醫生必須證明患者符合資格。

From a business perspective, this program significantly increases the number of potential patients for companies like Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly. Experts emphasize that these medications could generate over one billion dollars in annual revenue for each company, especially as older patients begin using pill-based versions of the drugs. However, this sudden increase in demand may put a lot of pressure on clinics and pharmacies.

從商業角度來看，該計劃顯著增加了 Novo Nordisk 和 Eli Lilly 等公司的潛在患者數量。專家強調，這些藥物每年可為每家公司創造超過 10 億美元的收入，特別是在年長患者開始使用藥片版本的藥物時。然而，需求突然增加可能會給診所和藥局帶來巨大壓力。

Despite these benefits, the long-term future of the program is uncertain. The Bridge program is set to end in 2027 unless the government changes the law or private insurers agree to join a new system called the 'Balance' program. Currently, many insurers are hesitant because of the high costs. Furthermore, the government hoped to lower drug prices by increasing the volume of sales, but this goal has not been fully met because not all private insurers are participating.

儘管有這些益處，該計劃的長期前景仍不確定。除非政府修改法律，或私人保險公司同意加入名為 "Balance" 的新系統，否則 Bridge 計劃將於 2027 年結束。目前，許多保險公司因成本過高而猶豫不決。此外，政府希望透過增加銷售量來降低藥價，但由於並非所有私人保險公司都參與，這一目標尚未完全實現。

The Bridge program gives millions of seniors immediate, affordable access to obesity medications, but its temporary status creates uncertainty about whether patients can continue their treatment in the long run.

Bridge 計劃讓數百萬名長者能立即且負擔得起地獲取肥胖症藥物，但其臨時狀態使得患者在長期是否能繼續治療方面存在不確定性。