The Food and Drug Administration approved Eli Lilly’s weight-loss drug Zepbound on Dec. 27 to treat sleep apnea, a common but potentially serious sleep-related breathing disorder, making it the first medication for certain patients with the condition.

The agency’s decision expands the use of Zepbound and could potentially pave the way for Eli Lilly to gain broader insurance coverage for the treatment.

As the new year sparks a wave of weight loss resolutions and millions turn to weight loss medications, rising costs and the growing popularity of compounded alternatives have raised critical questions.

Over her three-decade career, weight management physician Dr. Sarah Ro has seen hundreds of patients. Many of them are on Medicaid and have become yo-yo dieters who, despite their best efforts at changing their eating habits and lifestyles,

Zepbound is not covered by Medicare or many other insurance plans as a treatment for weight loss. The injectable treatment costs about $1,000 a month without insurance.

Eli Lilly's obesity drug Zepbound can now be covered by government-backed Medicare insurance plans for use in sleep apnea, broadening access to the blockbuster weight-loss treatment. The Wednesday statement from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services comes after Zepbound in December became the first drug approved in the U.

It opens the door for broader coverage and access to Zepbound, which is not currently covered by Medicare and many other insurance plans for weight loss.

Eli Lilly's (NYSE:LLY) weight-loss drug Zepbound is now reportedly covered by Medicare for the treatment of obstructive sleep apnea in people with obesity. CNBC said Wednesday that the U.S. Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services confirmed that Medicare drug plans can now cover Zepbound,