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Who gets weight loss drugs covered by insurance? In North Carolina, being on Medicaid helps.

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North Carolina State Health Plan eliminated coverage of GLP-1 agonist medications for weight loss starting in April .

The state treasurer projected the class of drugs would cost the state more than $170 million this year .

The outgoing Biden administration wants to follow suit, proposing on Nov. 26 for the federal government to cover the medications to treat obesity or Medicaid patients nationwide, in addition to Medicare patients.

NORC analysis: 45% of adults in North Carolina have a body mass index above 30 , the threshold for clinical obesity.

That number was 55% for non-Hispanic Black adults in the state.

Duke’s Shah: U.S. health care system needs to eliminate hurdles that make it difficult to obtain drugs.