Officials with West Virginia’s insurance program for public employees are considering how to strike a balance between the demand for weight loss drugs and the significant cost.
A meeting of the Public Employees Insurance Agency on Thursday afternoon returned to the question a couple of times in a broader discussion of financial pressures. Separately, a New York Times article this week highlighted that difficult balance, spotlighting West Virginia among states struggling to meet the challenge.
The national article noted that in March, PEIA canceled a pilot program to cover weight-loss drugs. The cost was mounting, even though the program was limited to about 1,000 people — adding up to about $1.3 million a month. Brian Cunningham, PEIA’s director, told the Times that if the program were expanded to include up to 10,000 people as intended, the program could end up costing $150 million a year.
A meeting of the Public Employees Insurance Agency on Thursday afternoon returned to the question a couple of times in a broader discussion of financial pressures. Separately, a New York Times article this week highlighted that difficult balance, spotlighting West Virginia among states struggling to meet the challenge.
The national article noted that in March, PEIA canceled a pilot program to cover weight-loss drugs. The cost was mounting, even though the program was limited to about 1,000 people — adding up to about $1.3 million a month. Brian Cunningham, PEIA’s director, told the Times that if the program were expanded to include up to 10,000 people as intended, the program could end up costing $150 million a year.
