The number of beneficiaries eligible for the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge is unknown, but a previous KFF analysis estimated that close to 14 million Medicare beneficiaries had a diagnosis of overweight or obesity in 2020 (BMI of 25-29.9 and 30 or more, respectively), though applying the specific criteria that determine eligibility for the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge would reduce that number
[DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar] 454.Graf E., Kelly R., Jedin H
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The people who deserve extra attention usually include: Patients with a known history of diabetic retinopathy Patients with diabetic macular edema Patients with recently worsening retinopathy Patients with poor baseline glucose control who may experience a large A1c drop Patients starting semaglutide while already under retina treatment Patients with multiple high-risk features such as kidney disease, hypertension, or long-standing diabetes In contrast, a patient with type 2 diabetes, no known retinopathy, and a recent normal dilated exam may still need routine follow-upbut often not the same level of concern as someone with active retinal disease
Conversely, an open-label retrospective cohort reported greater reductions in Binge Eating Scale scores among patients receiving semaglutide, and recent reviews have suggested potential benefits of GLP-1RAs for binge-eating behaviour, although large-scale, blinded, placebo-controlled trials remain limited (106, 107)