Weight loss injections in Switzerland: do health insurers pay?
Hype around weight loss injections: do health insurers pay? How much do the injections cost? What are the side effects? Comparis explains.
27.06.2024
iStock/Douglas Cliff
1. What weight loss injections are available in Switzerland?
Wegovy is currently the only weight loss injection approved in Switzerland. It is covered by basic insurance. It is the successor to Saxenda, which also comes from the Danish manufacturer Novo Nordisk. Saxenda has been unavailable in Switzerland since the end of March 2024.
Ozempic and Mounjaro are also approved in Switzerland. However, the approval is only valid for the treatment of type 2 diabetes mellitus.
2. Who can get weight loss injections?
Weight loss injections are neither lifestyle medication nor comparable to a cosmetic procedure: Wegovy is specifically approved for the treatment of severe obesity. There must be a medical need to lose weight. The weight loss injection can help after several unsuccessful attempts to lose weight.
The important thing to note is that it’s a temporary solution. For successful therapy, patients must also change their lifestyle. This includes a change in diet. Without also making these changes, there is often a yo-yo effect after the injection treatment has stopped.
For diabetics, there are other medications such as Ozempic or Mounjaro. They are mainly used to control blood sugar levels.
The yo-yo effect is when shortly after a diet, you gain weight again – sometimes more than the initial weight. It occurs especially when the body loses muscle in addition to fat as a result of the diet.
One of the reasons is that when the body gets less energy, it adjusts to it (only available in German). The body then requires less energy overall when at rest. If it gets more energy after a diet, it will build up fat reserves again.
3. Wegovy weight loss injections: health insurance pays under certain conditions
Since 1 March 2024, health insurers have covered the cost of Wegovy weight loss injections. Steps must be taken alongside, however, for the therapy to be successful. That’s why insurers impose conditions for covering the costs of weight loss injections:
You contact your family doctor. They will refer you to an endocrinologist or an obesity centre. Only they may prescribe weight loss injections.
In Switzerland, weight loss injections are only approved for people aged 18 years or over.
You suffer from obesity (BMI over 35). If you are very overweight (BMI over 28) and have an accompanying illness, your health insurer will also cover the costs. Accompanying diseases include high blood pressure, prediabetes, sleep apnoea or increased blood lipids.
In addition to drug therapy, you regularly attend nutritional counselling and follow a “500-calorie deficit diet”. This means: you eat 500 kilocalories less than your daily requirement.
More physical activity is required. You can prove that you’re being more active, for example, with a pedometer.
Together with a specialist, you set your weight goal. They regularly measure your progress. Your health insurer will only continue to pay if you achieve your therapy goals.
Important: if you have already had bariatric surgery, the health insurer is not required to cover the treatment. Bariatric surgeries include:
Gastric bypass (gastric reduction)
Gastric band (subdivision of the stomach into a small stomach pouch and the remaining stomach)
Gastrectomy (removal of part of the stomach)
4. Weight loss injections: costs in Switzerland
Wegovy costs 188.15 francs every four weeks. Health insurance covers 90% of the costs once the deductible is met. After a further 700 francs on coinsurance, your health insurer will cover all the costs.
Example calculation with the costs covered by basic insurance:
Annual costs: 2,445.95 francs per year. This corresponds to 188.15 francs every four weeks.
Deductible: 300 francs
Remaining amount after the deductible: 2,445.95 francs – 300 francs = 2,145.95 francs
Costs covered by health insurance (90%): 2,145.95 francs * 90% = 1,931.36 francs
Coinsurance (10%): 2,145.95 francs * 10% = 214.50 francs
Total costs for the patient: 300 francs (deductible) + 214.50 francs (coinsurance) = 514.50 francs per year
Information correct as of June 2024
Depending on the provider, supplemental insurance pays at least a portion of the costs of weight loss injections. If no such cover is possible, you will pay the full price of 188.15 francs per month yourself.
However, the weight loss injections are only available to a limited extent. There are often supply bottlenecks. This is why doctors often don’t prescribe the treatment for self-paying patients.
The FOPH expects additional costs of about 100 million francs per year. According to the Santésuisse health insurance association, the additional costs are at least 300 million francs. This is the case if 2% of the adult population is treated with Wegovy. The costs of doctors’ appointments and additional treatment are not included.
However: the costs of diseases caused by severe obesity are high. Since weight loss injections reduce such cases, health insurers can save money in the long term. In Switzerland, 12% of the population are obese and 43% are overweight. So there is a great need for effective treatment methods such as therapy with Wegovy.
5. How does the Wegovy “weight loss injection” work?
Essentially, Wegovy delays gastric emptying. This makes you feel full for longer and eat less. Many patients also report that they find high-fat meals more unpleasant.
Wegovy mainly breaks down visceral fat. This collects around the internal organs in the abdomen and is harmful to the cardiovascular system.
Weight loss injections are also referred to as hormone shots for weight loss. This is because the contents of the weight loss injections copy a natural intestinal hormone. This provides a feeling of satiety.
Participants in a study (only available in German) reduced their body weight by an average of about 15% with the injection treatment. The control group without medication only achieved a weight reduction of 2–6%. According to the manufacturer Novo Nordisk (only available in German), Wegovy also reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease.
6. How injections are used to lose weight
How long the treatment lasts varies from person to person. There are people who can maintain their weight after three years or less of treatment thanks to the accompanying measures they take. Others need the support of injections throughout their lives.
The treatment is carried out under the supervision of an obesity centre or endocrinologists. Wegovy is available as a pre-filled pen. This allows you to inject the medication yourself once a week.
Good to know: endocrinology is the medicine of hormone-producing glands.
The therapy is accompanied by nutritional advice. This is because in order to maintain the reduced weight, patients must also adjust their lifestyle. This can include:
Eating behaviour
Diet
Physical activity
7. What are the side effects of weight loss injections?
As with all medications, Wegovy may lead to unwanted side effects. However, most of them only appear at the beginning.
For this reason, treatment often starts with a low dosage. It is gradually increased as soon as the patient is able to tolerate the medication well. Little is known about the long-term effects, as Wegovy is still relatively new to the market.
The following table provides an overview of common side effects:
| Side effect | Frequency | Additional information |
|---|---|---|
| Nausea | Very common | Usually only in the first few weeks of treatment. |
| Diarrhoea | Very common | Usually only in the first few weeks of treatment. Can be alleviated by adjusting the diet. |
| Constipation | Very common | Can often be alleviated by drinking more and eating a high-fibre diet. |
| Vomiting | Very common | Usually only in the first few weeks of treatment. |
| Abdominal pain | Very common | To different degrees, often in conjunction with nausea. |
| Headaches | Very common | Usually only in the first few weeks of treatment. |
| Fatigue | Very common | Usually only in the first few weeks of treatment. |
| Dizziness | Often | May occur temporarily, usually at the beginning of treatment. |
| Eructation | Often | |
| Flatulence | Often | |
| Hair loss | Often | |
| Skin reactions at the injection site | Often | Redness, itching or pain at the injection site. |
| Stomach inflammation | Often | |
| Heartburn | Often | |
| Feeling of tension in the abdomen | Often | |
| Indigestion | Often | |
| Gallstone | Often |
Source (only available in German): European Commission
Very common: occurs in over 10% of patients
Common: occurs in 1–10% of patients
This article was first published on 27.06.2024
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