What to bring your doctor
A Bridge request can move in one visit when the right information is in the room. Here's the short list — and the one thing most patients won't think to bring that helps the most.
The essentials
- Your Medicare drug plan card — coverage type matters for the routing.
- Current medication list — including any GLP-1 you take now and how you pay for it. "I buy it through LillyDirect" is a sentence worth saying out loud; self-pay use doesn't count against you.
- Weight history — current weight, and your weight when GLP-1 therapy started if you're already on one. The starting number is the one the criteria assess.
- Diagnosis support — if your pathway depends on a condition (HFpEF, uncontrolled hypertension, CKD stage 3a+, prediabetes, prior heart attack or stroke, symptomatic PAD), recent notes or labs that document it.
- Your weight-management story — a few sentences on diet, activity, programs, and prior medications. It helps your doctor document the visit properly.
The thing nobody thinks to bring: instructions for a brand-new program
Your doctor has likely never written a Bridge prescription — the program only opened July 1, 2026. The prescription needs a specific obesity diagnosis code and a pharmacy-routing note, and the prior authorization arrives through an unusual pharmacy-initiated flow. A one-page summary of those steps, sourced from CMS's own prescriber fact sheet, is the difference between "let me look into this" and a prescription sent the same day. That page is part of our doctor request packet.
What to leave at home
Demands and certainties. "I qualify and I want this approved" makes a careful clinician slow down; "here's my information — could we review whether this is appropriate?" speeds things up. The facts do the persuading.
How to make it one visit, not three
The sequence that works: gather the essentials above, run the free screener so your numbers and pathway are already organized, bring the one-page program summary for your doctor, and lead with your weight-management story rather than a demand. When the documents, the routing instructions, and a clear ask all arrive together, there's nothing left to "look into" — your clinician can write the prescription and the pharmacy can start the prior authorization the same day, instead of booking you a second appointment to chase paperwork.
Frequently asked questions
How much will the medication cost once it's approved?
$50 for a one-month supply under the Bridge, and per CMS it doesn't count toward your Part D deductible or the $2,100 annual out-of-pocket cap.
Do I need lab results?
If a qualifying condition is part of your pathway, supporting labs help. Your clinician decides what's needed.
Who handles the prior authorization?
Your prescriber — the request comes to them from the pharmacy, usually within 24–72 hours of the claim.
Can I print the materials from this site?
Yes. The screener result and doctor message print free; the full packet adds PDF download.
Sources and review status: Content reviewed June 27, 2026, based on published CMS materials including the prescriber fact sheet (CMS Product No. 12235). Check current CMS materials: CMS Bridge overview, beneficiary fact sheet (PDF), provider information.