Doctors are calling for a change to the law to allow Quebec to reimburse weight loss drugs like Ozempic, but only for medical reasons.
• Also read: Is Ozempic really the discovery of the century?
For now, only type 2 diabetics who use Ozempic can obtain reimbursement from the Quebec government.
For this type of reimbursement alone, Quebec financed nearly $120 million last year.
As for other weight loss drugs, like Wegovy, there is no choice but to pay out of pocket or turn to private insurers.
“For this type of reimbursement, Quebec financed nearly 120 million dollars last year […]but, on the other hand, patients who are insured with the RAMQ have no access to anything,” stressed Dr.re Marie-Philippe Morin, specialist in internal and bariatric medicine.
Like her, several doctors believe that the law of the Régie de l’assurance maladie du Québec (RAMQ) must be changed since these drugs are a very important tool for weight loss and would allow us to treat the sickest in our society.
“Often the criterion [de l’] obesity, even if it is obesity that is extremely severe, there will not be [d’] access to care,” explained Dr.re Morin.
“Bariatric medicine programs in Quebec are not funded,” she added, specifying that only bariatric surgery is reimbursable.
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