Novo Nordisk partners on mapping new model of care for obesity management

A proposed new national model of care developed by Evohealth and funded by Novo Nordisk has set out a pathway to ensure all Australians living with clinical obesity can access effective, coordinated treatment, regardless of their location or financial circumstances.

The model comes amid growing concern over Australia’s escalating obesity burden, with around two-thirds of Australian adults now living with overweight or obesity. Rates continue to rise among priority populations, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities experiencing socioeconomic disadvantage, and people living in regional and remote areas. These groups face significant barriers to accessing obesity treatments, including glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) therapies, surgical intervention and other obesity management medicines.

The economic impact of obesity is also increasing. Obesity cost Australia an estimated $11.8 billion in 2018 and is projected to reach $87.7 billion by 2032 without coordinated national action to address this growing challenge. On average Australians wait almost nine years between first meeting the criteria for clinical obesity and accessing their first obesity specific consultation, around three years longer than the global average.

Access remains a major challenge even for those who seek treatment. The current private market for GLP-1 therapies, combined with the absence of Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme (PBS) subsidies for any of the six medicines approved for obesity management, creates significant financial barriers for many patients. Similarly, 93% of bariatric surgery procedures are delivered through the private health system, limiting access for people unable to afford private care.

The Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) approved Wegovy and Mounjaro for obesity management in August 2024. However, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) advised the Federal Health Minister Mark Butler to pursue a managed rollout of obesity medicines targeting priority populations, with no recommendation for broader preventive PBS funding due to health budget impact.

Wegovy’s pathway towards PBS reimbursement highlights the ongoing tension between clinical evidence, health budget sustainability and equitable patient access.

The PBAC considered Wegovy on three occasions before recommending it on its final resubmission in November 2025 for patients with established cardiovascular disease (eCVD) and obesity (BMI >35 kg/m² or BMI >32.5 kg/m² for high-risk First Nations and Asian populations). The recommendation also proposed a risk-sharing agreement, including a 100% rebate above expenditure caps, to mitigate the potential budgetary impact. However, no agreement on PBS listing arrangements has yet been finalised.

Against this backdrop, the proposed model of care, co-designed with an expert Advisory Committee of clinicians and informed by broader consultation, outlines a comprehensive framework for delivering accessible, coordinated and person-centred obesity care across Australia.

President of the National Association of Clinical Obesity Services Dr Samantha Hocking said “This model provides a clear, practical pathway to transform the treatment of obesity in Australia. It outlines the coordination, workforce and follow-up structures needed so that effective obesity treatment reaches everyone who needs it regardless of their postcode or income.”

Central to the framework is a primary care-led pathway, with general practitioners and nurse practitioners playing a leading role in assessment and treatment planning to improve access in communities affected by long waiting times and workforce shortages. The model introduces an obesity care coordinator role to support patients in navigating services, promotes informed choice across behavioural, medical and surgical treatment options, and expands access through digital and telehealth pathways, particularly for rural and remote communities.

Importantly, the model shifts the focus of care towards improving health outcomes rather than body size alone, recommending the Edmonton Obesity Staging System (EOSS) as the primary measure of clinical need instead of body mass index (BMI).

The model also identifies the funding reforms needed to close the equity gap, including Medicare Benefits Schedule (MBS) funding for structured obesity care planning, PBS-subsidised treatment, funding for the care coordinator role, and greater access to public bariatric surgery.

Evohealth Managing Director Renae Beardmore said, “Clinical obesity is a chronic disease, but for too many Australians structured support, medication and surgery are simply out of reach. The model provides an evidence-based practical plan for how Australia can change that.”

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