Who Gets Access to Breakthrough Drugs?

Event details Date: Thursday, October 1, 2026 Time: 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM Location: Online Type: Lecture / Talk / Workshop Department: USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism About this event They’ve been called “game-changing drugs” and “wonder drugs” — a pharma breakthrough that has ushered in the “great American GLP-1 experiment.” These much-hyped medications are transforming care for obesity and diabetes, even as doctors explore new uses for everything from sleep apnea to binge eating. Their potential to reduce the risk of chronic disease could prove especially powerful for low-income, disadvantaged patients, who suffer from chronic illness at disproportionately high rates. But the very patients who might benefit most are the ones least likely to get these drugs, due to their exorbitant cost and limited or nonexistent insurance coverage. Fewer than a dozen states cover GLP-1s for obesity in their Medicaid programs, down from 16 in 2025. It’s a policy patchwork that offers yet another example of access to health care and treatment being dictated by income, insurance status and where you happen to live. This spring, the federal government launched an initiative that aims to negotiate lower GLP-1 prices on behalf of Medicaid programs, with states joining on a rolling basis until Jan. 1. For reporters, there will be myriad questions to track: Which states will sign on? Will more low-income people get prescriptions? Are these drugs capable of bending the curve on chronic illness in vulnerable communities? In this webinar, we’ll explore whether these breakthrough treatments are poised to widen or narrow the chronic disease disparities that have long plagued America’s disadvantaged communities. This webinar is free and made possible by The Commonwealth Fund. RSVP here Official event details: https://calendar.usc.edu/event/who-gets-access-to-breakthrough-drugs