Nursing Homes Absorb GLP-1 Costs as 30% to 40% of New Admissions at One New Jersey Operator Arrive on the Drugs
Lisa Chubb, chief nursing officer of New Jersey-based Venza Care, told Skilled Nursing News that about 30% to 40% of newly admitted residents are on GLP-1 drugs. For residents in a Medicare Part A stay the nursing home pays for the medication, and residents covered for weight loss through the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge pay a $50 monthly fee; Jessie McGill of the American Association for Post-Acute Care Nursing said a lasting fix would need Congress to exclude high-cost drugs like GLP-1s from consolidated billing, as it does for chemotherapy and dialysis drugs. Nurses also need to watch older residents for muscle loss, weakness, and poor food intake.