Barmer expects weight loss injections to become covered by health insurance

The outgoing Barmer chief, Christoph Straub, expects that weight-loss injections could soon be prescribed as a covered healthcare service.

Straub told the partner newspapers of the NPG editorial team (Thursday edition), "I assume that we will also incorporate the weight-loss injection as a therapeutic option." He added that the costs for the health insurance funds should not increase dramatically.

However, a prerequisite is that the legislature enables a pricing model that is more closely oriented toward the actual benefit of the medications. "In light of the cost consequences, the price must and can be lowered in negotiations," said Straub.

The Barmer chief demanded that patients with morbid obesity must in no case prove that they have already attempted to lose weight through diet or more exercise before receiving treatment with the weight-loss injection. "We do not require a smoker to stop smoking before we operate on his bronchial carcinoma."

The so-called weight-loss injections can lead to significant weight loss in cases of severe obesity. However, legally mandated health insurance funds cannot currently pay for these medications. Some of the active ingredients are covered if they are prescribed for the treatment of other diseases, such as diabetes.