Biden Proposal to Cover Obesity Drugs Sets Up Quandary for Trump

The Biden administration is proposing a rule that would require the US government to cover obesity drugs for millions of Americans, teeing up a financial and political challenge for President-elect Donald Trump as he prepares to take office.

The Medicare insurance program has been barred by law from paying for weight-loss shots like Novo Nordisk A/S’s Wegovy and Eli Lilly & Co.’s Zepbound, though similar drugs for conditions such as diabetes are covered. The Biden plan relies on a new interpretation of the law, based on a fresh understanding of obesity as a disease.

“The medical consensus has ...