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KFF Health News

Ozempic, glucagon-like peptide-1 agonists, accounted for 10% of North Carolina state employee health plan’s annual prescription drug spending

KFF Health News
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North Carolina state employee’s health insurance initially covered Ozempic, developed to treat Type 2 diabetes.

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.

North Carolina's obesity rate exceeds the national average.

45% of adults in the state had a body mass index above 30 , the threshold for clinical obesity.

That number was 55% for non-Hispanic Black adults in North Carolina .

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