Dutch healthcare institute could add 2 more obesity medicines to basic health insurance
The National Healthcare Institute is looking into adding another two obesity medications to the basic health insurance package. These are Wegovy and Mounjaro. The Healthcare Institute is only considering these medications for people “with the highest disease burden,” it said on Thursday. The basic health insurance package already covers Saxenda and Mysimba.
The Healthcare Institute is only looking at the effectiveness and health benefits of these weight-loss medications in two patient groups, because the most evidence exists for these groups that the medicines can improve their health.
The first group is people with a body mass index (BMI) of 30 or higher who also have conditions related to their weight, such as heart failure, chronic kidney disease, and sleep apnea. The other group is people with severe or very severe obesity with a BMI of 35 or higher.
According to the Healthcare Institute, this concerns approximately 1 million people. The medication must be used in combination with a lifestyle intervention covering factors like stress, sleep, nutrition, and exercise.
Studies have shown that patients regain weight when they stop taking these medications. This means that they will likely have to use the medication for the rest of their lives at an estimated cost of between 250 and 450 euros per month.
A spokesperson for the National Healthcare Institute told NOS that it will take several months before it publishes its recommendations on Wegovy and Mounjaro. After that, it will be up to the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sports to decide whether to add the medicines to the basic health insurance package.
