NUMBER OF INSURERS SAYING THEY WON’T COVER THEM.
HERE’S ERIN
McLAUGHLIN.
>> ALL RIGHT, COME
INTO THIS ROOM.
>> Reporter: THIS DUKE
HEALTH CLINIC CHANGED
THE LIFE OF STATE
EMPLOYEE SKYLAR
HACKNEY.
WITHIN A YEAR OF
STARTING THE WEIGHT
LOSS DRUG WEGOVY SHE
LOST 50 POUNDS AND IS
NO LONGER PREDIABETIC.
>> IT HAS HELPED WITH
MY ENERGY LEVEL AND
HOW I FEEL ON A DAILY
BASIS.
>> Reporter: BUT THIS
MONTH A HUGE SETBACK.
>> HOW ARE YOU FEELING
ABOUT COMING OFF THE
MEDICATION?
>> I’M A LITTLE
NERVOUS IT’S GOING TO
MAKE ME SICK.
>> Reporter: WHEN THE
STATE EMPLOYEE HEALTH
INSURANCE PLAN STOPPED
COVERING THE NEW GLP-1
DRUG FOR WEIGHT LOSS
BUT NOT DIABETES.
>> I DON’T EXPECT TO
PAY NOTHING, BUT I
CAN’T PAY $1293 FOR IT
A MONTH.
THAT’S CRAZY.
THAT’S A MORTGAGE.
GOING TO HAVE TO GO
OFF OF IT COLD TURKEY
AND THEN IT’S GOING TO
MAKE ME BECOME
DIABETIC.
>> Reporter: NORTH
CAROLINA STATE
TREASURER DALE FOLLOW
LOW SAID THE STATE HAD
NO CHOICE.
>> THIS DRUG HAD THE
POTENTIAL LAST YEAR OF
COSTING OVER $100
MILLION.
THAT’S MORE THAN WE
SPEND, FOR EXAMPLE, ON
CANCER TREATMENT.
>> Reporter: ACROSS
THE STATE DEMAND FOR
THE DRUG SURGED BY
730% BETWEEN 2021 AND
2023.
QUICKLY TAKING UP 10%
OF THE PLAN’S TOTAL
SPENDING ON
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.
FALWELL SAYS THE PRICE
CHARGED BY
MANUFACTURERS ELI
LILLY AND KNOW VERY
FOR DISK AVERAGING
$1,000 PER MONTH.
>> WE’RE UNDER SIEGE.
SOMETHING IS WRONG
WHEN A DRUG CAN SELL
FOR OVER A THOUSAND
DOLLARS IN THIS STATE
AND IN THE HOME
COUNTRY OF WHERE THIS
COMPANY IS
HEADQUARTEREDS CAN
SELL FOR LESS THAN
$300.
>> YOU REFERRED TO THE
DRUG COMPANIES AS A
CARTEL.
>> RIGHT.
>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY
THAT?
>> CARTEL IS DEFINED
IN THE WEBSTER’S
DICTIONARY AS AN
ASSOCIATION FORMED TO
RESTRICT COMPETITION
FOR RAISE PRICES.
I MEAN, THAT’S WHAT’S
HAPPENING IN THE
PRESCRIPTION DRUG
INDUSTRY AND THE
HOSPITAL DRUG
INDUSTRY.
>> Reporter: IN
STATEMENTS TO NBC NEWS
BOTH COMPANIES STRESS
THE IMPORTANCE OF
EXPANDED COVERAGE.
WITH NOVO NORDISK
SAYING THE STATE
REJECTED WORKABLE
OPTIONS AND CHOSE TO
ABANDON ITS OBLIGATION
TO EMPLOYEES LIVING
WITH OBESITY.
OTHER PLANS INCLUDING
THE UNIVERSITY OF
TEXAS AND THE MAYO
CLINIC HAVE ALREADY
EYE ELIMINATED
COVERAGE OR SCALED IT
BACK AS WELL AS SOME
STATES.
MEANWHILE, PROVIDERS
LIKE LEEANNE OWENS AND
HER PATIENTS ARE
SCRAMBLING WITH THE
FALLOUT.
>> I’M ALMOST DONE
WITH THE WEGOVY, THE
LAST DOES OF WEGOVY.
>> WHAT ARE THEY
TELLING YOU?
>> THEY’RE SCARED OF
REGAINING THEIR
WEIGHT.
SPECIFICALLY A LOT OF
MY PATIENTS THAT HAVE
BEEN ABLE TO COME OFF
BLOOD PRESSURE
MEDICINES, CHOLESTEROL
MEDICINES, HAVE FEARS
ABOUT HAVING TO
RESTART THOSE
MEDICINES.
>> Reporter: LIKE
SKYLAR HACKNEY, MANY
WILL QUIT THE DRUGS
AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS.