Their child’s obesity drug was working. Then their plan refused to pay.

Youth obesity is an epidemic, but few insurers will cover drugs costing more than $1,300 a month for adolescents

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March 26, 2023 at 6:00 a.m. EDT
The Tyler family brings water for their animals in Killingworth, Conn. When their insurer denied coverage of their 12-year-old’s weight-loss medication, they paid $831 for a one-month supply — and that was with a $500 discount coupon. (Joe Buglewicz)
12 min

Debra Tyler’s younger daughter was always on the larger side. She was only 5 when doctors noticed her lipids were elevated, 8 when they put her on cholesterol-busting drugs, and 11 when she faced the danger of liver failure — a condition typically seen in those decades older.

“We tried everything. Nothing helped her,” said Tyler, who lives in Killingworth, Conn. Not a diet and exercise program. Not countless hours of counseling.