Senator Lesser Welcomes Pilot to Expand Coverage of Weight Loss Drugs

Senator Matt Lesser, Senate chair of the legislature’s Human Services Committee, issued the following statement Friday in response to a federal pilot program to cover GLP-1 weight loss drugs under Medicaid and Medicare.

“I welcome the return of this policy and believe Connecticut should seriously consider participating in the federal pilot program,” Senator Lesser, D-Middletown, said. “As we confront the obesity epidemic and the broader public health issues that come with it, we need Medicaid and other health plans to cover weight loss drugs in a way that is effective and affordable for patients and taxpayers. Two years ago, I wrote a law requiring Connecticut’s Medicaid program to cover GLP-1 drugs, but the cost was overwhelming due to high demand and drug company profiteering. That’s why this year, we directed the Department of Social Services to work with the federal government to reduce those costs, including through generic production and potential in-state manufacturing.

“This pilot program could help make these medications more accessible and more affordable, and I urge DSS to explore every option to lower prescription drug costs for Connecticut families. But this comes at a time when both red and blue states are reeling from $1 trillion in Medicaid cuts. The federal government must do more to support access to care. Millions of Americans are being pushed out of the system, and any progress on affordability will mean little if people no longer have coverage.”

The Washington Post reported Friday that the federal government planned to begin a five-year pilot program allowing Medicaid and Medicare to cover GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound. The program mirrors an initiative proposed by President Joe Biden late last year.

In 2023, Senator Lesser led passage of Senate Bill 977, which required the Connecticut Department of Social Services to cover certain types of obesity treatments under its HUSKY B Medicaid program.

More recently, Senator Lesser served as co-chair of the legislature’s bipartisan Prescription Drug Task Force. The group’s work informed House Bill 7192, which included a provision requiring DSS to partner with the federal government to seek the generic production of GLP-1 weight loss drugs in addition to a wide range of other policies intended to reduce the costs consumers pay for pharmaceuticals.

H.B. 7192 passed with overwhelming support during the 2025 legislative session and was signed into law by Gov. Ned Lamont. The legislation was celebrated Wednesday during a bill signing event at Arrow Pharmacy in Hartford.