Following the UK and Switzerland, France Extends Public Insurance Coverage to Wegovy and Mounjaro, Marking a Paradigm Shift From ‘Personal Responsibility’ to ‘Treatable Disease’

Major countries including France and the UK incorporate GLP-1 therapies into public healthcare systems
Obesity redefined as a chronic disease under state-managed healthcare frameworks
Drug reimbursement expected to reduce patient costs and expand treatment access

France has decided to formally incorporate GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) obesity treatments into its public healthcare system. With France joining the UK, Switzerland, Japan, and the United States in advancing insurance reimbursement for obesity drugs within public healthcare programs, obesity is increasingly being recognized not as a matter of individual lifestyle choices but as a chronic disease requiring state management. As expanded insurance coverage is expected to significantly improve access to costly therapies, substantial changes are anticipated across both the obesity treatment market and broader healthcare paradigms.

France Responds to Rising Obesity Rates With State-Led Management

According to pan-European media outlet Euronews on May 29 (local time), France’s Ministry of Health announced that it will begin reimbursing obesity treatment injections through the national health insurance system starting June 15. Eligible patients include those with severe obesity and a body mass index (BMI) of at least 40 kg/m², as well as those with serious obesity and a BMI of at least 35 kg/m². The French government plans to officially reimburse 65% of drug costs through insurance. However, since most patients also suffer from comorbidities such as hypertension, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease, making them eligible for additional medical assistance, they are effectively expected to receive full reimbursement. French Health Minister Stéphanie Rist stated that “the vast majority of patients will receive full coverage.”

High prices have long been regarded as the primary obstacle to broader adoption of obesity treatments. In France, patients currently pay approximately $380 per month out of pocket. As a result, debates over the fiscal burden of insurance coverage have continued across many countries. France authorized obesity drug prescriptions early last year, and in June 2025 relaxed regulations to allow general practitioners—not just endocrinologists—to prescribe Novo Nordisk’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly’s Mounjaro. The move was intended to rapidly improve treatment accessibility. As of late January this year, the number of patients receiving Mounjaro treatment in France was estimated to have exceeded 70,000.

The French government’s proactive support reflects the growing severity of the country’s obesity problem. According to France’s 2024 national obesity and overweight epidemiological survey, approximately 18% of the population—around 10 million people—are obese. The broader European picture is similar. Data from the European Parliament indicate that 51% of the European Union’s population aged 16 and older is overweight, with 17% classified as obese.

UK, Switzerland, and Japan Also Reimburse Obesity Drugs; U.S. Launches Pilot Program This Year

France is not the first country to integrate obesity treatments into its public healthcare system. The UK’s National Health Service (NHS) incorporated Wegovy into its official weight-management program in March 2024. At the time, the NHS did not adopt an unrestricted prescribing model. Instead, it supplied the drug through Specialist Weight Management Services, primarily targeting patients with a BMI of 35 or higher who also suffered from obesity-related conditions such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, or sleep apnea. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended that Wegovy be used for up to two years and required patients to participate in dietary and exercise programs alongside treatment.

In March 2025, Mounjaro prescriptions were also approved. Although Mounjaro was launched in the UK as an obesity treatment in February 2024, it was not initially included in the NHS, which is funded through government budgets and taxpayer money. That changed in December 2024, when NICE recognized the drug’s cost-effectiveness and approved its inclusion on the NHS formulary, enabling more patients to access treatment. Prescribing criteria are identical to those recommended for Wegovy.

Switzerland also began reimbursing part of obesity treatment costs in March 2024. Eligible patients include those with severe obesity and a BMI of at least 35, as well as patients with a BMI of at least 28 who suffer from comorbidities such as diabetes, hypertension, or sleep apnea. According to the Swiss insurance industry, approximately 40,000 people received Wegovy prescriptions through health insurance during 2024, while insurers covered about $39 million in costs. Switzerland officially classifies obesity as a chronic disease. While obesity was once widely viewed as a matter of personal responsibility and failed weight management, the Swiss healthcare system now treats it as a condition requiring long-term management, similar to hypertension and diabetes. Insurance coverage became possible only after this shift in disease perception.

Japan also provides health insurance coverage to patients with a BMI of at least 35 who suffer from one or more of the following conditions: hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or diabetes. Coverage is also available to patients with a BMI of at least 27 who have at least two obesity-related health disorders, including hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and diabetes. However, these patients must undergo six months of dietary and exercise therapy before receiving obesity drug prescriptions. They must also receive nutritional counseling every two months after treatment begins. As a result, patients pay only about $87 out of pocket for a drug whose official listed price is approximately $275 for Wegovy 2.4 mg.

The United States is also moving toward insurance coverage for obesity treatments. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) will implement the “Medicare GLP-1 Bridge” program from July 1 through December 31, 2027, providing GLP-1 medications to Medicare Part D beneficiaries, including seniors aged 65 and older and people with disabilities. Drugs included in the pilot program are Eli Lilly’s oral obesity medication Orforglipron, the Zepbound QuickPen formulation, as well as Wegovy and oral Wegovy formulations. The initiative will operate separately from existing Medicare Part D benefits, and beneficiaries must meet prior authorization requirements to qualify. The U.S. government is considering formalizing the program beginning in 2028 after the pilot concludes. Policymakers intend to evaluate data on how obesity treatments affect spending on other chronic diseases such as diabetes and cardiovascular conditions before making a final decision.

How Wegovy and Mounjaro Are Changing the Social Meaning of Obesity

The expansion of insurance coverage for obesity treatments is increasingly viewed as a turning point in society’s perception of obesity itself. Until now, obesity treatment has largely resembled elective healthcare available primarily to individuals who could afford expensive medications. However, as major countries begin incorporating GLP-1 therapies into public healthcare systems, obesity is increasingly being recognized as a treatable chronic disease rather than a consequence of lifestyle choices. The World Health Organization (WHO), in its recent “GLP-1 Treatment Guidelines,” likewise defines obesity as a “chronic, relapsing disease” that should be managed within a long-term treatment framework.

The impact on accessibility is likely to be far greater than initially anticipated. When obesity treatments first entered the market, monthly costs ranging from several hundred dollars to nearly $1,000 created significant barriers to prescription use. Once health insurance coverage is introduced, however, patient costs fall to levels comparable to those of standard chronic disease medications. The reason many countries are expanding coverage primarily for patients with severe obesity is to ensure long-term treatment access. As these therapies effectively enter the realm of routinely prescribable medicines, obesity treatment is transitioning from a privilege available to select groups into a mainstream healthcare service.

This process is also reshaping the broader paradigm through which obesity is viewed. In the past, obesity was often interpreted as a consequence of insufficient willpower or failed self-management. However, as GLP-1 therapies have demonstrated benefits not only in weight reduction but also in lowering the risks of diabetes, cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea, and other metabolic disorders, the perception of obesity as a condition requiring active medical treatment has gained momentum. The WHO has likewise identified obesity as a major driver of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer risk, emphasizing the need for long-term management systems that include pharmacological treatment.

Expanded insurance coverage is also altering pharmaceutical industry strategies. Until now, the obesity treatment market has grown on the basis of constrained supply and high drug prices. As public insurance systems expand coverage, however, the market’s key competitive factors are likely to shift toward pricing and accessibility. Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly are already accelerating efforts to expand manufacturing capacity and develop new formulations, including oral therapies, while numerous late entrants are pursuing oral obesity treatments and next-generation GLP-1 drugs. As these therapies evolve from premium products for a limited consumer base into broadly utilized chronic disease management medications, the market structure itself is undergoing transformation.

There is also growing evidence that GLP-1 therapies may alter the function of adipose tissue itself. Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania recently reported findings suggesting that semaglutide and tirzepatide influence gene expression and metabolic activity within fat cells, potentially reducing inflammation in adipose tissue and improving energy metabolism. Beyond facilitating weight loss, the drugs may be capable of altering the biological characteristics of fat tissue itself. Such findings align with the medical community’s evolving perspective on obesity. Increasingly, adipose tissue is viewed not merely as an energy storage site but as a metabolic organ involved in insulin resistance, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. If GLP-1 therapies are ultimately proven to improve adipose tissue function, the goal of obesity treatment may shift from weight reduction alone toward restoring overall metabolic health. This trend further reinforces the growing view of obesity as a treatable chronic disease rather than a matter of personal willpower.