Health insurance companies have been covering the costs of Wegovy since March: the slimming injection is free only under 5 conditions

A body mass index (BMI) of 30 or more speaks of disease-causing obesity or overweight. In order for the health insurance company to cover the costs of Wegovy treatment, the patient must have a BMI of at least 35. People who have comorbidities such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure due to their excess weight must have a BMI of at least 28.

In order for compulsory health insurance to be required, only specialists are allowed to prescribe. These include doctors with specialist titles in endocrinology or diabetology and doctors in obesity centers. Another requirement is that a nutritionist must work in these centers or the center can prove that it works closely with an outside nutritionist.

Patients must commit to eating 500 fewer calories per day than they need during Wegovy treatment. According to BAG, weight loss injection should only be administered to highly motivated patients.

Another expectation is that people engage in physical activity during treatment and demonstrate this, for example, with a pedometer. The goal is to ensure that they not only rely on the weight loss injection, but also change their lifestyle and have a chance at successful treatment.

After four months, the patient must have met a definitive weight loss goal for the health insurance company to continue paying for six months. In detail, this means that someone with a BMI between 28 and 35 should weigh at least five percent less after four months than before starting treatment. The weight loss goal for patients with a BMI of 35 or higher is to lose seven percent of their initial body weight within four months.