What ends
The demonstration that prices Wegovy (pen and pill), Foundayo, and Zepbound KwikPen at $50 ends 31 December 2027 unless CMS extends it. After that date there is no Bridge processor to call.
TrOOP treatment does not suddenly become generous on 1 January 2028. The $50 never counted. It will not be retroactively counted.
Two open-enrollment seasons, two jobs
15 October–7 December 2026: pick 2027 coverage while Bridge still exists. Prefer plans whose 2027 networks and pharmacies you can use, and note whether they list these NDCs at all for after the demo.
15 October–7 December 2027: pick 2028 coverage in a world where $50 is gone. That is the cliff shop. Waiting until a January 2028 denial is how people buy a gap month at cash prices.
What remains after the cliff
Part D or MA formulary coverage if the plan lists the drug and the indication matches. Manufacturer cash (Foundayo often ~$149 at the lowest dose; Wegovy pill commonly $199 / $299 after the 31 August 2026 4 mg step). Commercial-plus-card ~$25 for people who are actually commercial.
Telehealth bundles near $449 remain the expensive way to panic.
Do not hoard eligibility
Bridge is month-by-month through a PA, not a warehouse. You cannot stockpile 2028 at $50. You also cannot jump onto Bridge in late 2027 if you already filled a Part D GLP-1 in 2026 — that bar does not expire because the cliff is near.
What the checklist should already say
Every VitalHound Bridge checklist carries a cliff line so the clinician and the family see the same sunset. Educational only. Not a CMS determination.
Questions
Could CMS extend Bridge?
If I start Bridge in 2027, do I get a year?
Will cash prices drop when Bridge ends?
Should I switch to cash now to 'get used to it'?
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