(FEBRUARY 20, 2024) Endocrinologist Matthew Gilbert, D.O., M.P.H., joined Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, M.D., and OBGYN Kimberly Sampson, M.D., for a conversation on Vermont Public that included a discussion of how weight-loss drugs work, their health benefits, and their potential shortcomings.
(FEBRUARY 20, 2024) Endocrinologist Matthew Gilbert, D.O., M.P.H., professor of medicine, joined Vermont Health Commissioner Mark Levine, M.D., professor of medicine, and OBGYN Kimberly Sampson, M.D., of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center, for a conversation on Vermont Public that included a discussion of how weight-loss drugs work, their health benefits, and their potential shortcomings.
Injectable medications called GLP-1 drugs, more commonly known by names such as Ozempic and Wegovy, were approved by the FDA in the last several years for treating diabetes and obesity. Ozempic in particular has gotten buzz for it's use by celebrities as a weight-loss tool.
In Vermont, more than a quarter of residents live with obesity. There’s a push at the statehouse to require Medicaid and private insurers to cover GLP-1s because these drugs can be expensive, and usage is growing. Both the House and Senate are considering bills that would require Medicaid and private insurers to cover drugs such as Ozempic.
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