The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services unveiled a voluntary payment model designed to broaden Medicare coverage of GLP‑1 agonists used for weight loss. CMS framed the model as a step to lower patient costs and expand access for Medicare beneficiaries, building on administrative priorities to make high-demand obesity therapies more affordable. The announcement came amid intense public and industry attention on GLP‑1 drugs and payer coverage policies. The model lets participating plans test new payment and coverage arrangements for anti‑obesity GLP‑1s, which may include benefit redesign and contracting innovations. Manufacturers, health plans, and provider groups will watch uptake closely; wider coverage could stimulate demand, reshape formularies, and pressure drug pricing and supply chains. The model also sets a precedent for how Medicare might handle other high‑cost chronic‑disease medicines going forward.