Now the price is fixed: from Friday the health insurer will pay for the Wegovy fat removal injection

The wait is over: from March 1, health insurers will reimburse the treatment of severe overweight and obesity with the new Wegovy fat removal injection. The Danish manufacturer Novo Nordisk confirmed this at the request of CH Media. “We are pleased that Wegovy is now eligible for health insurance. “The patients with the greatest medical needs are often dependent on reimbursement because they would otherwise not be able to afford the therapy,” a spokeswoman said.

The solution is the result of negotiations between the manufacturer and the Federal Office of Public Health, which have been ongoing since November. The federal government agrees on a price with the pharmaceutical companies, which health insurers reimburse as part of the basic insurance. All preparations paid for in this way are on the so-called specialty list.

Since Friday it has also been clear how much health insurers pay for the active substance semaglutide. For a syringe that lasts a month, the manufacturer receives 149.46 francs. This is the factory price. The injection costs the patient or the insurer 188.15 francs. This is the audience award.

The agreement paves the way for the manufacturer to bring the syringe to customers across Switzerland. Previously, patients had to request reimbursement from their health insurer on a case-by-case basis to ensure costs were covered. Not all insurers supported such a solution. This meant that patients were sometimes denied access to the weight-loss medication.

In order for health insurers to reimburse the treatment, a prescription must be drawn up by, for example, a specialist in endocrinology or an obesity center. In addition, patients must meet strict requirements, such as weight goals. “This means that patients with the highest medical needs will receive reimbursement for the therapy first and foremost,” says Novo Nordisk. The Swissmedic authority has approved Wegovy for patients who are obese (from a body mass index of 30) or severely overweight (from a BMI of 27) and at least one comorbidity.

To meet demand, Novo Nordisk has already announced deliveries. Production is ramping up, Anne Mette Wiis Vogelsang, head of Novo Nordik Switzerland, recently told CH Media. “We want to ensure that Wegovy reaches patients. In Switzerland, 11 percent of the population is obese and 31 percent is overweight. The need is therefore great.” (aargauerzeitung.ch)