The letters from the insurance company arrived in recent weeks, bearing a warning to health care providers who prescribe Ozempic, a diabetes drug that has gained popularity as a weight-loss treatment.
[...]
Insurers appear to be tightening rules to prevent off-label prescriptions for now, but that could change if Ozempic and similar drugs are shown to have broader health benefits associated with losing weight — benefits that could save insurers money. The results of the first such major study are expected later this summer.
The main compound in ozempic, semaglutide, is FDA cleared for weight loss under the trade medication Wegovy. This seems like a crack down on paying for outrageously expensive drugs that are being...
The main compound in ozempic, semaglutide, is FDA cleared for weight loss under the trade medication Wegovy.
This seems like a crack down on paying for outrageously expensive drugs that are being prescribed instead of other outrageously expensive drugs that have the same base ingredient.
That being said, obesity costs almost $1 trillion annually so trying to fix obesity is an investment in long range cost savings for everyone.
Good. They've been predatory with their advertising during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they do the very shady practice of "Ask your doctor if it's right for you", without saying anything about...
Good.
They've been predatory with their advertising during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they do the very shady practice of "Ask your doctor if it's right for you", without saying anything about what the drug is.
The enemy of my enemy… starts shooting and catches my friend in the crossfire? The pharmaceutical companies are price gouging (the same medication elsewhere in the world is around 10x cheaper),...
The enemy of my enemy… starts shooting and catches my friend in the crossfire?
The pharmaceutical companies are price gouging (the same medication elsewhere in the world is around 10x cheaper), the insurers are trying to save money by discouraging an effective treatment option, the patients lose out either way.
AFAIK, weight loss is off-label for ozempic, so it wouldn't even be legal for them to advertise it for that purpose. Those shady commercials where they just say "ask your doctor" also let them...
they do the very shady practice of "Ask your doctor if it's right for you", without saying anything about what the drug is.
AFAIK, weight loss is off-label for ozempic, so it wouldn't even be legal for them to advertise it for that purpose. Those shady commercials where they just say "ask your doctor" also let them avoid mentioning side effects. Of course, everybody knows about the weight loss bit now, so those commercials are still useful. Gross.
It's certainly not the first time pharma companies have pulled that one out. I remember when ability was approved as an adjunct medication to be used in combination with antidepressants, for...
It's certainly not the first time pharma companies have pulled that one out. I remember when ability was approved as an adjunct medication to be used in combination with antidepressants, for people who weren't seeing enough improvement with antidepressants. And those commercials presented it as a totally benign drug, a completely normal thing to take. But ability is an atypical antipsychotic, a class of medications with extremely heavy duty side effects. Weight gain, drowsiness, they're associated with increased rates of diabetes, liver problems, etc. There are times when it's worth taking those risks, but people should clearly understand them before taking them. The commercials were all over the place for a few years. I really wonder how many people did ask their doctor about it, and had no idea what they were getting into.
And I wonder how many people are taking ozempic/wegovy and haven't really been educated on the possible downsides.
have your dr run a 2hr glucose test when you go sit in your car to wait for the first hour, eat a candy bar, get results back, diabetic as fuck, get ozempic, problem solved.
have your dr run a 2hr glucose test
when you go sit in your car to wait for the first hour, eat a candy bar, get results back, diabetic as fuck, get ozempic, problem solved.
A healthy diet will do a lot more for just "losing weight" than exercising. Unless you're already eating a reasonable amount of (healthy) food per day, it's a lot easier for someone eating 3000...
A healthy diet will do a lot more for just "losing weight" than exercising. Unless you're already eating a reasonable amount of (healthy) food per day, it's a lot easier for someone eating 3000 calories a day to cut 500 calories from their diet than it is for them to do 500 calories worth of exercise every day (and takes less time).
For reference, a 250lb person would have to jog about 40 minutes per day to lose a pound a week (-500 calories per day) while eating maintenance calories.
Archive.is link for the paywalled.
The main compound in ozempic, semaglutide, is FDA cleared for weight loss under the trade medication Wegovy.
This seems like a crack down on paying for outrageously expensive drugs that are being prescribed instead of other outrageously expensive drugs that have the same base ingredient.
That being said, obesity costs almost $1 trillion annually so trying to fix obesity is an investment in long range cost savings for everyone.
Good.
They've been predatory with their advertising during the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and they do the very shady practice of "Ask your doctor if it's right for you", without saying anything about what the drug is.
Free market can work both ways.
The enemy of my enemy… starts shooting and catches my friend in the crossfire?
The pharmaceutical companies are price gouging (the same medication elsewhere in the world is around 10x cheaper), the insurers are trying to save money by discouraging an effective treatment option, the patients lose out either way.
AFAIK, weight loss is off-label for ozempic, so it wouldn't even be legal for them to advertise it for that purpose. Those shady commercials where they just say "ask your doctor" also let them avoid mentioning side effects. Of course, everybody knows about the weight loss bit now, so those commercials are still useful. Gross.
It's certainly not the first time pharma companies have pulled that one out. I remember when ability was approved as an adjunct medication to be used in combination with antidepressants, for people who weren't seeing enough improvement with antidepressants. And those commercials presented it as a totally benign drug, a completely normal thing to take. But ability is an atypical antipsychotic, a class of medications with extremely heavy duty side effects. Weight gain, drowsiness, they're associated with increased rates of diabetes, liver problems, etc. There are times when it's worth taking those risks, but people should clearly understand them before taking them. The commercials were all over the place for a few years. I really wonder how many people did ask their doctor about it, and had no idea what they were getting into.
And I wonder how many people are taking ozempic/wegovy and haven't really been educated on the possible downsides.
have your dr run a 2hr glucose test
when you go sit in your car to wait for the first hour, eat a candy bar, get results back, diabetic as fuck, get ozempic, problem solved.
A healthy diet will do a lot more for just "losing weight" than exercising. Unless you're already eating a reasonable amount of (healthy) food per day, it's a lot easier for someone eating 3000 calories a day to cut 500 calories from their diet than it is for them to do 500 calories worth of exercise every day (and takes less time).
For reference, a 250lb person would have to jog about 40 minutes per day to lose a pound a week (-500 calories per day) while eating maintenance calories.
I’d say that’s a overly reductionist perspective. Diet is far more important and side point, running is not an option for everyone.