The stares — eyes on me from every direction. They look at me, but I can’t help what I look like.  At times I have felt that I am living outside of my body. 

There is a stigma around my disease– that of being sloppy and unclean. It’s affected my mental health and I’ve suffered from depression, having withdrawn from society at times.  The medication should help. I’ve finally found a solution after years of suffering, but the cost is so high.  Is my condition obesity or eczema?  We could be talking about either one.  Medications for both are considered “vanity drugs,” but only one is covered by insurance without much fanfare.

Medications related to both obesity and eczema are very expensive.  Both have injectable drugs that have been FDA approved in the last eight years along with older, cheaper, less effective alternatives. The only difference is that the drugs for one condition are much more expensive than the other.

The injectable Dupixent, used for eczema, is almost three times as expensive as the weight loss GLP-1 Wegovy, with a list price of $47,916 a year compared to $16,188.  But Wegovy is the drug that is getting pushback from insurance companies who don’t want to cover the cost.  Yes, Wegovy is probably prescribed more than Dupixent, but the GLP-1 would have to be prescribed at three times the rate of Dupixent to even break even in cost.  So, why will insurance companies cover Dupixent and not cover Wegovy? 

Insurance companies not covering obesity medications is indicative of how society perceives obesity and the bias against the disease.

In a 2023 study, physicians were found to lack education around individuals who are obese, categorizing them as difficult and resulting in diminished patient care.  Patients who encountered weight bias from medical providers were more likely to report feelings of depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, and suicidal ideations.  Women report twice as many negative encounters with physicians as men and 40% of women who have a BMI over 35 report facing weight bias.  When insurance companies refuse to cover GLP-1 drugs they are advancing weight bias in the medical field.

In Connecticut, the Governor and the Department of Social Services (DSS) want to cut Medicaid coverage for GLP-1 drugs used strictly for weight loss, citing that the cost is beyond what the state can afford.  The message that they are sending to people who are obese is “we don’t care about your health; we only care about the money”.  Over the last couple of months, numerous GLP-1 users, including myself, have told their stories conveying just how life changing these drugs are.  GLP-1s for someone who has been obese their whole life could be the one treatment that helps them lose weight and keep it off.   As of June 15^th, DSS has stated that they will no longer cover GLP-1 drugs that are used for strictly weight loss, perpetuating weight bias in their policies and going against current state law.

Connecticut legislators have already shown their support for the obesity community by passing PA 23-94 which supports Medicaid coverage for surgery and prescription drugs approved by the FDA for treatment of obesity.  During the 2025 legislative session, they have gone further with legislation to expand the definition of “weight loss drugs” to include GLP-1s approved by the FDA for weight loss (SB 1474).  

Support for these drugs will put pressure on insurance companies and DSS to cover these potentially lifesaving drugs, drugs that have been proven to be extremely effective for weight loss but also many other diseases including, Alzheimer’s, dementia, substance abuse, sleep apnea, fatty liver, Parkinson’s, PCOS, cardiovascular diseases, osteoarthritis, and is being studied in relation to many other diseases. 

Studies have shown that GLP-1s reduce inflammation in the brain and regulate anxiety as well as depression.  When insurance companies no longer cover GLP-1s, they are not only taking away medication that helps with weight loss they are taking away a drug that is helping that individual regulate their brain function.

The legislature along with DSS needs to prove to the obese community that they have their back.  This can be done by incorporating GLP-1s into the definition of “weight loss drugs” and continuing to find ways to fund this class of drugs.

Sarah Makowicki is a post-graduate student at the University of Connecticut.