Thirteen-dollar Ozempic | The Gazette
Why Weight Loss Is a Public Health Issue—Not a Personal Failure
Every January, millions of Americans promise themselves the same thing: this will be the year I get healthy. According to a 2024 Forbes Health survey, nearly half of all New Year’s resolutions focus on fitness, and for one in three people, weight loss tops the list.
That’s not surprising. The United States has one of the highest obesity rates in the developed world—and some of the highest rates of chronic illnesses linked to it. What is surprising is how often obesity is still treated as a moral failing instead of what it truly is: a chronic medical condition.
Obesity has been classified as a disease since 1998. It is shaped by biology, stress, trauma, food access, income, neighborhood design, and education—not simply willpower. Yet stigma continues to drive policy, pricing, and access to care.
What Are GLP-1 Drugs, and Why Do They Matter?
GLP-1 medications like Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro have changed the conversation around obesity and metabolic disease. Over the last few years, these drugs have helped millions of patients lose significant weight while reducing their risk of:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Heart disease and stroke
- Obstructive sleep apnea
- Kidney disease
For many patients, GLP-1s are not cosmetic tools. They are life-altering medical treatments prescribed when words like comorbidity and disease progression enter the exam room.
The $13 Ozempic Question: Why Is It Cheap Abroad but Not in the U.S.?
Here’s the uncomfortable truth: the medication is the same.
In England, patients who qualify through the NHS pay a monthly copay of £9.90—about $13. In Scotland and Northern Ireland, it’s completely free. Across much of Europe, governments negotiate drug prices or impose caps to protect public health budgets.
The United States does neither.
Instead, pharmaceutical companies are allowed to charge whatever the market will bear. That’s why Americans routinely pay over $1,000 per month for the exact same GLP-1 medication—same dose, same vial, same science.
The Real Cost of Doing Nothing
We often talk about the “high cost” of GLP-1 drugs as if the alternative is free. It isn’t.
A Milken Institute study estimated the total annual cost of obesity in the U.S. at $1.7 trillion, factoring in healthcare spending and lost productivity. Obesity drives long-term costs tied to:
- Insulin and diabetes care
- Blood pressure and cholesterol medications
- CPAP machines
- Joint replacements and surgeries
- Dialysis, ER visits, disability claims
Public programs like Medicare and Medicaid already spend billions treating the downstream effects of obesity—because we refuse to invest in prevention and early intervention.
Are GLP-1s “The Easy Way Out”? Not Even Close.
One of the most damaging myths around GLP-1 drugs is that they’re a shortcut. In reality, these medications come with real challenges:
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- The need for dietary changes
- Long-term medical supervision
They work best alongside lifestyle improvements like better nutrition, physical activity, and sleep. Patients still have to build habits. The medication is a tool, not a replacement for effort.
This is also why medical oversight matters. When access is blocked by price, people turn to unsafe compounded versions or poorly supervised online sources—putting their health at risk.
Hollywood, Stigma, and Who Gets Pushed to the Back of the Line
Celebrity use of GLP-1s has distorted public perception. When these medications are framed as beauty trends, patients with genuine medical need face increased stigma—and reduced access.
Those who can afford to pay out of pocket often jump the queue. Meanwhile, patients managing obesity as a chronic disease are left appealing insurance denials, searching for coupons, or going without care altogether.
In the U.S., price—not medical necessity—determines access.
A Familiar Pattern in American Healthcare
We’ve seen this story before—with insulin, inhalers, cancer drugs, and diagnostic scans. Scientific progress moves fast. Policy lags behind. Prices rise. Coverage shrinks. And patients are left choosing between healthcare and everyday survival.
GLP-1 medications are not the problem. The system is.
The science is here. The outcomes are clear.
Now the policies need to catch up.
Final Thought
When a life-saving medication costs $13 in one country and $1,000 in another, the issue isn’t innovation—it’s priorities.
#Ozempic #GLP1Medications #ObesityCare #HealthcareReform #DrugPricing