I have been prescribed tirzepatide by my primary care physician of 12 years since last November. In the approaching 7 months I've been on Zepbound I have lost a total of 91 lbs (or ~40kg) and I am noticing significant improvements in various aspects of my physical and mental health. My doctor gave me this medication to treat me for my morbid obesity. I weighed 363lbs at my heaviest and struggled my whole life to lose and keep the weight off. My sleep apnea was also a cause for treatment with Zepbound but that was an added bonus as far as me and my doctor were concerned.
I was on public assistance up until very recently as I started a new job and had to purchase my own private insurance (none offered by my ER). Obtaining prior authorization while on state funded care was rather simple and straightforward. Nobody fought with my doctor and agreed the medication was necessary. I figured the switch to Chorus would go the same. Unfortunately, Chorus began dicking me around with prior authorization. I had to call a bunch of people to figure out how to obtain proper approval and was informed that Chorus is careful with prior authorizations for these kind of drugs because people have "found out" about an "unintended side effect" causing weight loss and all the shortages have taken them away from people who REALLY need it like people with sleep apnea (literally used that as an example).
Firstly, the shortages with Zepbound are over and have been for a while lol. Secondly, how would Zepbound treat sleep apnea if not for weight loss? I would like to know Chorus' explanation for that. It is not a sleep apnea drug. It is approved to treat obesity which treats illnesses caused by it, like sleep apnea. It incidentally treats sleep apnea. That's the unintentional side effefct, not the weight loss.
I am so enraged, honestly. Because now I feel no support from them! Should I consider myself lucky I have hypertension and sleep apnea? I'm worried once these issues are controlled they're going to take the drug away from me even though it is a life-long medication. Once you stop taking a glp-1 drug it's likely you will regain the weight. You can alternate every other week but you need to take the drug eventually. As it currently stands, these drugs are forever.
I can't stick with Chorus next year. I sent them a message basically saying all of this and told them I would be choosing another insurance company next year. They're all crooks but fuck, one of them has to be greedy enough to want all the money Eli Lilly is making lol. "Yeah take all the Zepbound you want! Fuckin' shove it up your ass I don't care!"