Trump Administration Extends Medicare GLP-1 Bridge to End of 2027 After BALANCE Pilot Collapse
After CVS/Aetna, UnitedHealth, and other insurers declined to participate in the BALANCE five-year pilot, CMS announced the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge program — originally scheduled to end December 31, 2026 — will now be extended through 2027 with the federal government directly paying for seniors' obesity drug coverage. The pivot acknowledges that the insurer-funded pilot structure was untenable; CMS said the extension will allow longer data collection on which patients benefit most before any transition back to private payers.