Medicare Part D to start covering obesity drugs for $50 copay per month

Medicare Part D rolled out a new benefit on Wednesday that will offer eligible beneficiaries GLP-1 drugs for a $50 copay per month. 

The federally funded prescription drug plan already covers some GLP-1 drugs for conditions like diabetes and cardiovascular disease, but federal law prohibits coverage of the drugs if they're prescribed solely for obesity, CNBC reported. 

Obesity coverage is part Medicare's new Bride demonstration program, which waives the prohibition for potentially several million beneficiaries. 

The program may be temporary, and providers have a lot of hoops to jump through to meet eligibility requirements.