When is someone eligible for weight-reducing medication and what role does the combined lifestyle intervention (GLI) play in this? The Partnership Overweight Netherlands (PON), in collaboration with the Dutch Association for Overweight & Obesity (NVOO), has made a Q&A about weight-reducing medication for patients and clients.
GLI
The content of the Q&A is based on the previous “Questions and answers about reimbursement of pharmacotherapy in the treatment of overweight and obesity” by Zorgverzekeraars Nederland (ZN), which was made for professionals earlier. The new patient version is written in plain language and contains 29 questions and answers, including 13 on the GLI. After all, to be eligible for obesity medication, it is necessary that patients have followed a GLI for at least 1 year and have not lost enough weight (less than 5 percent for BMI between 25 and 30 or less than 10 percent for BMI from 30).
Saxenda or Mysimba?
It also discusses which obesity medication is reimbursed for which patients. For example, people with a BMI of 35 and over in combination with other diseases such as cardiovascular disease, sleep apnea or osteoarthritis are eligible for reimbursement of liraglutide (brand name Saxenda). This also applies to people with a BMI of 40 or more, who do not have type 2 diabetes and who are not yet eligible for a stomach reduction or who do not want to. Naltrexone bupropion (brand name Mysimba) can be reimbursed for people with a BMI from 30 and also for people with a BMI between 27 and 30 in combination with other diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea or osteoarthritis.
Source: PON
