Mounjaro/Zepbound What is the US doing to cut GLP1 medications costs?

hello my name is Jenna I have been on mongero slz Bound for about 7 months I'm on 10 milligrams right now I have lost over 80 lbs now I am so excited this medication has changed my life I am so grateful that this is available in my lifetime that I am able to be to get healthier and lose the weight that I have been struggling to lose for it feels like my entire life uh at least my entire not my entire adult life but since I was in my early 20s um and at least more after I had my children so uh i' I've been able to lose 80 PBS I still have a ways to go but excuse me I am still super grateful um that I had access to these medications um they are lifechanging amazing medications over the last few weeks I have been very interested in looking into the cost of these medications um they are over a lot of in they're over $1,000 in the United States but if you go over to Europe or Canada they are a fraction of the price they are significantly less and you know I was just thinking if they need all this money for research and development for new gp1s why is it why doesn't Europe have to pay for that why doesn't Canada have to pay for that why is the United States stuck once again picking up the tab it seems really unfair and and the you know the cost here is so much more and I I'm sorry I can't remember I know I did a video a while ago about what the cost was in some of those other countries compared to the United States but there is a huge difference and it just got me thinking what is going on we have an obesity epidemic in this country we have a a large percentage of people um who are getting type 2 diabetes who have high blood pressure I mean we if if any population needs these medications it's us and yes I understand supply and demand we have a lot of demand in this country we have a lot of people who are overweight so they're going to jack up the price to get what they can and they're getting it because people are willing to pay people are willing to pay to be healthier to live longer to prevent other comorbidities they have seen what their parents their grandparents have gone through whether it's being diabetic heart disease and if there's something we can do to prevent it people are going to do it however there is a population of people who could really benefit from these medications and I mean people who have bmis in the 40s or the high 30s or even higher than that who don't have the financial means to pay for it and their insurance company is saying no we're not we are not covering this and with Michigan pulling out and saying we are not going to cover glp ones or Michigan Blue Cross Blue Shield um it just really that's unfortunate that is there's a few reasons that's unfortunate um because I think they could have put in more restrictions because I do think it I have said in another video I do think it's a problem that everybody their mother brother and sister is being prescribed a glp1 you need to lose 10 PBS go get a glp1 you need to lose 20 pounds go get a glp1 and you know I don't want to argue over 20 lbs looking different or being different on one body type as opposed to the other but I think insurance would have done better it would have gone over better saying we're putting these restrictions in place you either have to have a BMI of 35 or a BMI of 30 with another comorbidity um they're also saying people are starting these medications and they're not lasting a whole month so they're starting them and I I don't know whether to believe that or not I'm sure it happens there are some not great side effects sometimes with these medications I think with a little education and people understanding that a lot of the uh nausea vomiting diarrhea it's a shortterm thing it goes away maybe with a little more education stick it out you know the health benefits outweigh what you're going through at the moment it's going to subside I just think that would have been a um better answer than cutting gp1s I also see insurance companies looking into making people um do some kind of life lifestyle change whether it's a program class whatever and I think that's absolutely wonderful because I think people get on I hear it all the time people get on these medications and say I'm going to lose weight just by eating less I'll eat less McDonalds I'll eat less junk I'll still eat the way I always did I I'll just eat less and that's that's not what these medications were made for Eli Lily has told us you have got to change your lifestyle and you got to start moving and exercising Bernie Sanders who is the a senator from Vermont um and his senate committee have done um some research on noo Nordisk and the cost of this medication in the United States through that research they found out if they if it cost $5 if they were selling it for $5 a month for these medications they're still making a profit so why is it ,000 and of course you know they're buying new real estate to keep up with demand research and development but again I say why are Americans footing the bill why isn't the cost of these medications more expensive in other countries and you know the answer is we don't negotiate drug prices they can charge whatever they want and in this case with GP ones it looks like people who are able to pay are paying myself included I pay out of pocket um for my glp1 um it's $550 a month I understand that is cost prohibitive prohibitive to some people some people who could greatly benefit from these medications it's it's a shame and I've heard people coming up with a few Solutions one of which is well the United States starts needs to start negotiating drug costs well listen that's just not going to happen it would take a whole lot for that to happen and it it's just not that's not happening anytime soon um I've heard well make the medications over the counter I read an article about that make it over the counter if insurance is not involved the cost seems to go down and I don't think that would ever work because you're always going to have those people who will say hm I I'm obese I I think I need 15 milligrams even though it's my first time taking these this medication and will end themselves in the ER it will happen absolutely a th% it'll happen over and over I don't think that is the answer at all um then I have heard well the government right now when a medication is in shortage it is able there's able to be compounded there's compounding pharmacies that can use that exact same I want to say recipe and that's not the word I'm looking for the exact same formulation and they sell it you know for a more reasonable price sometimes even that's cost prohibitive but it's still cheaper than brand name um and what they were saying was well make it so even when there isn't a shortage even when they ramp up production we are still able to have compounds because it gives access to other people there are other people who maybe can't afford the brand name but could afford compounds so that is another idea um if these drug companies are not willing to come down in prices now novu NES said they are they are willing to look at the research look at what Bernie Sanders you know the research and what he is saying about noo Nordisk and the cost of these medications because my understanding is these medications with how many people are obese or could benefit from them has the potential to like you know the cost of them would be more than like all drugs put together by 2025 and that's just a projection but it has the potential to do that um I I you know I don't know I think that hopefully either the pressure pressure from um patients pressure from the from the government maybe will force the for and pressure from the insurance companies insurance companies pulling out will you know have the Pharmaceuticals look and say Hey you know um we need to lower these costs or else we're not going to be get the money from the insurance company I think that's sort of a ways off because right now there's a shortage I have not seen 10 I'm on 10 milligrams of Zep bound or mjo um I have not been able to get 10 milligrams of Zep bound I was able to find 10 milligrams of mongero thankfully um and I do have a little cushion of a few months so but it is I'm in the Philadelphia suburbs and it's scarce there is not 10 milligrams is just not around so I do think until there is a break in the shortage that that's not going to happen um because people are willing number one people are willing to pay there's not enough to go around so you know um I would love to know what you think of this and potential solutions to this issue do you think the Pharmaceuticals will come down on the pricing do you think that the answer is to let compounds be made I will say this um I would like to still stay on brand name mro and Zep bound I like the ease of the pen it makes me feel comfortable knowing that uh what medic the medication I'm getting I just I just feel better and is worth it for my peace of mind to pay the extra money for um the brand name I know that sounds silly to a lot of people but that is just my feeling um but I would like to know what your feeling is um please subscribe like leave a comment I would love to know what you think we could do about this short about the cost of this medication I'm sorry my head is in the shortage but the cost of this medication is there a solution are we just going to continue the way it is Will Bernie Sanders putting pressure make a difference I don't know but um I will see you in the next one have a great day