Patient Lory Osborn (left) holds Wegovy pens used in her treatment with Dr. Laura Davisson, director of the Medical Weight Management at West Virginia University in Morgantown, W.Va., Monday, Dec. 2, 2024.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) -- Lory Osborn says the Wegovy she was prescribed 15 months ago did more than help her lose 75 pounds -- over a quarter of her body weight. The administrative assistant at West Virginia University said she feels healthier at 62 than she has since graduating high school.

But lately, she's been having panic attacks because she fears running out of medication. Citing a gross cost of $1.4 million a month, West Virginia abruptly announced in March it would indefinitely pause a pilot program covering weight loss drugs for 1,000 public employees, leaving patients like her scrambling. West Virginia's Public Employee Insurance Agency (PEIA) will continue covering the popular and expensive GLP-1 drugs to treat Type 2 diabetes.