effective, but insurance won’t cover it for many people

DICKINSON, N.D. (KFYR) – The demand for medications like Wegovy has soared in recent years due to the drug’s effectiveness in helping people lose weight. However, even though it’s effective for many people, actually being able to afford it can be another hurdle entirely.

Betty Anton first started coming to the clinic Urban Unwind a couple of years ago. It offers both medical and cosmetic services, but the one that’s made the most difference for Anton is its weight-loss program.

“I’ve been up and down with my weight my whole time, and it was just like, ‘I’m fed up with this.’ I wanted to get into a program,” Anton said.

She said with the clinic’s help, she’s lost nearly 60 pounds in six months. Along with diet and lifestyle changes, they prescribed her the weight-loss drug Wegovy.

“This is the smallest I’ve been in a long time. I don’t remember being this small,” Anton said.

She said her husband has lost nearly 50 pounds. Their weight loss has changed more than just their appearance; aside from benefiting their health, Anton said she can do more with her family, like going shopping with her daughter.

“Taking our granddaughter to a park and being able to sit on toys with her and going up and down the slide with her— the difference,” Anton said.

But now, her insurance won’t cover Wegovy for her or her husband anymore. What had cost them $24 a month each now costs them $2,400 each.

Nurse Practitioner Paige Hood said a lot of patients can make all the recommended lifestyle changes and still have trouble seeing results. She said weight-loss medications can help balance that issue.

“High cortisol, which is our stress hormone, can cause us to retain belly fat. There’s hormonal imbalances— things like PCOS, insulin resistance— that can make it really challenging to lose weight,” Hood said.

Nurse Practitioner Megan Gietzen said patients shouldn’t feel ashamed when they need help losing weight.

“A lot of patients who have gone through maybe some weight-loss surgeries or gone through these things before and it comes back, they’re a little bit ashamed that they have to rely on help again, but it’s okay. Our goal here at Urban is to treat it like a chronic disease,” Gietzen said.

Even though her insurance isn’t covering Wegovy right now, Anton is optimistic about her future progress.

“I think my mindset is at it now, where I’m, ‘I’ve got to do this. I’m going to do it,’” Anton said.

Urban Unwind said it’s good about appealing insurance rejections and is able to help find alternative treatments for those who need them.

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