A patient finally decides to prioritize their health. They wait weeks for an appointment. We talk, we plan, and they leave with hope. Then the pharmacy calls with a price tag over $1,000 a month and that hope disappears.

If that's happened to you, I made this episode for you. Because what most patients don't know is that there are real, legitimate ways to make this work and I'm breaking all of them down today.

An insurance denial is not a verdict on your health or your worth. It just means we need to get strategic. Listen now!

Episode Highlights:

• Why I never let my patients stop at the first insurance "no"

• The Zepbound Lilly Direct self-pay program and what it actually costs

• The Wegovy NovoCare self-pay option and its introductory pricing

• Oral GLP-1 medications — who they're right for and why they may surprise you

• Manufacturer coupons, GoodRx, and savings tools most patients walk past

• How to appeal a denial and exactly what documentation can move the needle

• Why thinking long-term changes everything about affordability

Connect with Dr. Alicia Shelly:

• Website | drshellymd.com

• Facebook | www.facebook.com/drshellymd

• Instagram | @drshellymd

• Linked In | www.linkedin.com/in/drshellymd

• Twitter | @drshellymd

About Dr. Alicia Shelly

Dr. Alicia Shelly was raised in Atlanta, GA. She received her Doctorate of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Shelly has been practicing Primary Care and Obesity medicine since 2014. In 2017, she became a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is the lead physician at the Wellstar Medical Center Douglasville. She started a weekly podcast & Youtube channel entitled Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight loss, where she discusses how to get on track and stay on track with your weight loss journey. She has spoken for numerous local and national organizations, including the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons. She has been featured on CNN, Fox 5 News, Bruce St. James Radio show, Upscale magazine, and Shape.com. She was named an honoree of the 2021 Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 award. She also is a collaborating author for the, "Made for More: Physician Entrepreneurs who Live Life and Practice Medicine on their own terms''.

Resources:

FREE! Discover the 5 Reasons Your Weight-Loss Journey Has Gotten Derailed (And How To Get Back On Track!) 👉 Click

People keep asking the same question: what's actually the difference between all these weight loss medications?

Ozempic. Wegovy. Mounjaro. Zepbound. Foundayo. Wegovy pill.

Some of these medications are injections, some are pills, some are FDA-approved for diabetes, others for weight loss, and some are actually the same medication with completely different brand names.

So I'm breaking it all down for you today — in plain language — because the confusion alone is keeping people from getting the treatment they need.

The real problem isn't just the brand names. It's that without knowing exactly how these medications differ, patients end up on the wrong one, pay out of pocket unnecessarily, or give up when insurance denies them. You deserve better than that.

Once you understand what each one actually does, the whole picture becomes much clearer. Listen now!

Episode Highlights:

• Why Ozempic and Wegovy are the same medication and why the difference still matters

• How tirzepatide (Mounjaro/Zepbound) works on two hormone pathways and why it tends to produce greater weight loss

• The new oral options — Foundayo and Wegovy pill — and who they're actually right for

• Real average weight loss numbers from clinical trials, by medication

• How insurance covers (or denies) each one and what I tell my patients when it does

• Who may be a candidate for these medications

Connect with Dr. Alicia Shelly:

• Website | drshellymd.com

• Facebook | www.facebook.com/drshellymd

• Instagram | @drshellymd

• Linked In | www.linkedin.com/in/drshellymd

• Twitter | @drshellymd

About Dr. Alicia Shelly

Dr. Alicia Shelly was raised in Atlanta, GA. She received her Doctorate of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Shelly has been practicing Primary Care and Obesity medicine since 2014. In 2017, she became a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is the lead physician at the Wellstar Medical Center Douglasville. She started a weekly podcast & Youtube channel entitled Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight loss, where she discusses how to get on track and stay on track with your weight loss journey. She has spoken for numerous local and national organizations, including the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons. She has been featured on CNN, Fox 5 News, Bruce St. James Radio show, Upscale magazine, and Shape.com. She was named an honoree of the 2021 Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 award. She also is a collaborating author for the, "Made for More: Physician Entrepreneurs who Live Life and Practice Medicine on their own terms''.

Resources:

FREE! Discover the 5 Reasons Your Weight-Loss Journey Has Gotten Derailed (And How To Get Back On Track!) 👉 Click

Medicare has spent years telling obesity patients: your medication isn't covered. Starting July 1, 2026, that may finally start to change.

In this episode, I will break down the new Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Demonstration Program — what it is, who qualifies, and which medications may be covered. This is not just a policy update. For thousands of patients who have paid hundreds of dollars out of pocket or given up on treatment altogether, this pilot program represents a real opening.

The biggest barrier to obesity treatment has never been willpower. It's been access.

This episode is your first look at what's coming and whether it applies to you.

Episode Highlights:

• What the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program is

• Which medications may be covered

• The three eligibility groups by BMI and medical condition

• Why this program matters beyond medication

• What the Treat and Reduce Obesity Act (TROA) is and why it still needs to pass

Connect with Dr. Alicia Shelly:

• Website | drshellymd.com

• Facebook | www.facebook.com/drshellymd

• Instagram | @drshellymd

• Linked In | www.linkedin.com/in/drshellymd

• Twitter | @drshellymd
  

About Dr. Alicia Shelly

Dr. Alicia Shelly was raised in Atlanta, GA. She received her Doctorate of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Shelly has been practicing Primary Care and Obesity medicine since 2014. In 2017, she became a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is the lead physician at the Wellstar Medical Center Douglasville. She started a weekly podcast & Youtube channel entitled Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight loss, where she discusses how to get on track and stay on track with your weight loss journey. She has spoken for numerous local and national organizations, including the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons. She has been featured on CNN, Fox 5 News, Bruce St. James Radio show, Upscale magazine, and Shape.com. She was named an honoree of the 2021 Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 award. She also is a collaborating author for the, "Made for More: Physician Entrepreneurs who Live Life and Practice Medicine on their own terms''.

Resources:

FREE! Discover the 5 Reasons Your Weight-Loss Journey Has Gotten Derailed (And How To Get Back On Track!) 👉 Click

Your weight loss medication was denied. That moment of hope is gone. But this is not a 'you' problem. It's a system problem.

In this episode, I break down why insurance denials for weight loss medications happen so frequently, and more importantly, what you can actually do about it. From formulary exclusions to step therapy requirements to the documentation timing that can reset your entire approval clock the barriers are real, but they are navigable.

A denial does not mean you failed. It means you hit a wall in a system built with gaps. Understanding how that system works is the first step to getting through it.

Listen to this episode to stop feeling defeated and start building your case.

Episode Highlights:

• Why insurers deny weight loss medications even when you clearly qualify

• What "step therapy" is and why it forces patients to go backwards

• The documentation timing mistake that can reset your approval from scratch

• How to appeal a denial and why an appeal is advocating, not begging

• Self-pay options now available when insurance won't budge

Connect with Dr. Alicia Shelly:

• Website | drshellymd.com

• Facebook | www.facebook.com/drshellymd

• Instagram | @drshellymd

• Linked In | www.linkedin.com/in/drshellymd

• Twitter | @drshellymd
  

About Dr. Alicia Shelly

Dr. Alicia Shelly was raised in Atlanta, GA. She received her Doctorate of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Shelly has been practicing Primary Care and Obesity medicine since 2014. In 2017, she became a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is the lead physician at the Wellstar Medical Center Douglasville. She started a weekly podcast & Youtube channel entitled Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight loss, where she discusses how to get on track and stay on track with your weight loss journey. She has spoken for numerous local and national organizations, including the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons. She has been featured on CNN, Fox 5 News, Bruce St. James Radio show, Upscale magazine, and Shape.com. She was named an honoree of the 2021 Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 award. She also is a collaborating author for the, "Made for More: Physician Entrepreneurs who Live Life and Practice Medicine on their own terms''.

Resources:

FREE! Discover the 5 Reasons Your Weight-Loss Journey Has Gotten Derailed (And How To Get Back On Track!) 👉 Click

Weight loss plateaus on GLP-1 therapies such as Wegovy and Zepbound are increasingly understood as a function of biological adaptation rather than patient noncompliance.

In this episode I will be discussing CagriSema, an investigational combination therapy expected to launch between late 2026 and early 2027. The treatment combines semaglutide and cagrilintide, targeting complementary mechanisms that regulate appetite and satiety.

Clinical trial data indicate weight reduction of up to 22.7%, suggesting improved efficacy relative to existing monotherapies.

The development reflects a broader shift toward combination-based treatment models, consistent with approaches used in managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.

Listen to the episode for a closer look at what this could mean for treatment pathways and patient outcomes.

Episode Highlights:

• Why plateaus happen and what your body is actually doing

• What CagriSema is and how its two-ingredient formula works

• What the REDEFINE trials show including how it stacks up against Tirzepatide

• Who this medication is most likely to help

• Why the best plan is still the one that's working for you right now

Connect with Dr. Alicia Shelly:

• Website | drshellymd.com

• Facebook | www.facebook.com/drshellymd

• Instagram | @drshellymd

• Linked In | www.linkedin.com/in/drshellymd

• Twitter | @drshellymd
  

About Dr. Alicia Shelly

Dr. Alicia Shelly was raised in Atlanta, GA. She received her Doctorate of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Shelly has been practicing Primary Care and Obesity medicine since 2014. In 2017, she became a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is the lead physician at the Wellstar Medical Center Douglasville. She started a weekly podcast & Youtube channel entitled Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight loss, where she discusses how to get on track and stay on track with your weight loss journey. She has spoken for numerous local and national organizations, including the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons. She has been featured on CNN, Fox 5 News, Bruce St. James Radio show, Upscale magazine, and Shape.com. She was named an honoree of the 2021 Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 award. She also is a collaborating author for the, "Made for More: Physician Entrepreneurs who Live Life and Practice Medicine on their own terms''.

Resources:

FREE! Discover the 5 Reasons Your Weight-Loss Journey Has Gotten Derailed (And How To Get Back On Track!) 👉 Click

If you're looking for weight loss options but don't want injections, things just changed in a big way.

In this episode, I break down a new class of weight loss pills, including Foundayo (orforglipron), the newest GLP-1 option that was just approved. Unlike older treatments, this pill is designed to be simple. No fasting. No strict timing. You can take it with food or even coffee.

We also look at how it compares to the oral Wegovy pill and what that means for people who want real results without shots.

There are now two real pill options in the weight loss space, and choosing the right one is not about hype. It's about your lifestyle, your body, and what you can actually stick with long term.

We're entering a new era of weight loss treatment. And for the first time, you have choices that don't involve needles.

Listen now to understand what's new and what actually matters before talking to your doctor.

Episode Highlights:

• How Foundayo works in the body

• How it compares to oral Wegovy

• What makes GLP-1 pills different from older weight loss meds

• Who these options may or may not be right for

Connect with Dr. Alicia Shelly:

• Website | drshellymd.com

• Facebook | www.facebook.com/drshellymd

• Instagram | @drshellymd

• Linked In | www.linkedin.com/in/drshellymd

• Twitter | @drshellymd

About Dr. Alicia Shelly

Dr. Alicia Shelly was raised in Atlanta, GA. She received her Doctorate of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Shelly has been practicing Primary Care and Obesity medicine since 2014. In 2017, she became a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is the lead physician at the Wellstar Medical Center Douglasville. She started a weekly podcast & Youtube channel entitled Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight loss, where she discusses how to get on track and stay on track with your weight loss journey. She has spoken for numerous local and national organizations, including the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons. She has been featured on CNN, Fox 5 News, Bruce St. James Radio show, Upscale magazine, and Shape.com. She was named an honoree of the 2021 Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 award. She also is a collaborating author for the, "Made for More: Physician Entrepreneurs who Live Life and Practice Medicine on their own terms''.

Resources:

FREE! Discover the 5 Reasons Your Weight-Loss Journey Has Gotten Derailed (And How To Get Back On Track!) 👉 Click

If Wegovy has helped you — but not enough — the answer may not be more willpower. It may be a higher dose.

The FDA just approved a new 7.2mg version of Wegovy, and the clinical data is turning heads.

In this episode, I break down everything you need to know about this new higher dose — what the research shows, who it's designed for, and what it actually means for your weight loss journey.

Weight loss medicine just crossed a new threshold. This isn't just a bigger dose, it's a meaningful new option for people who need more help reaching goals that can transform their health. Listen now!

Episode Highlights:

• Why 1 in 3 people on the standard Wegovy dose don't lose even 5% of their body weight and what the new dose does differently

• The Step Up Trial: what a 1,400-person, 72-week clinical study published in 2025 found about the 7.2mg dose

• How nearly half of participants lost 20% or more of their body weight numbers we typically only see with bariatric surgery

• The side effects you need to know about, including the new one that showed up in 23% of patients

• Who this higher dose is best suited for and who should wait

• How the dosing process works and what to do if side effects become uncomfortable

Connect with Dr. Alicia Shelly:

• Website | drshellymd.com

• Facebook | www.facebook.com/drshellymd

• Instagram | @drshellymd

• Linked In | www.linkedin.com/in/drshellymd

• Twitter | @drshellymd

About Dr. Alicia Shelly

Dr. Alicia Shelly was raised in Atlanta, GA. She received her Doctorate of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Shelly has been practicing Primary Care and Obesity medicine since 2014. In 2017, she became a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is the lead physician at the Wellstar Medical Center Douglasville. She started a weekly podcast & Youtube channel entitled Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight loss, where she discusses how to get on track and stay on track with your weight loss journey. She has spoken for numerous local and national organizations, including the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons. She has been featured on CNN, Fox 5 News, Bruce St. James Radio show, Upscale magazine, and Shape.com. She was named an honoree of the 2021 Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 award. She also is a collaborating author for the, "Made for More: Physician Entrepreneurs who Live Life and Practice Medicine on their own terms''.

Resources:

FREE! Discover the 5 Reasons Your Weight-Loss Journey Has Gotten Derailed (And How To Get Back On Track!) 👉 Click

You're doing everything right — watching what you eat, trying to stay active — and still the weight won't budge. If you have PCOS, this isn't a willpower problem. It's biology. And once you understand the cycle driving it, you can finally start to break it.

PCOS creates a vicious cycle between high androgens, insulin resistance, and weight gain and each one feeds into the others. Your body isn't working against you randomly. There are real mechanisms at play, and understanding them is the first step to taking back control.

In this episode, I break down exactly what's happening inside your body with PCOS and what you can actually do about it. I'll walk you through the androgen-insulin connection, where and why your body stores fat differently, and what the latest international guidelines say about treatment including newer options like GLP-1 medications.

If you've been frustrated, discouraged, or told it's just about eating less and moving more this episode will change how you see your body and your options. Listen now!

Episode Highlights:

• Why high androgens and insulin resistance keep feeding each other and why that makes weight loss so much harder

• Where PCOS fat actually gets stored (and why it's more than a cosmetic issue)

• Why losing just 5–10% of your body weight can dramatically improve your symptoms

• What nutrition and exercise approaches the research actually supports for PCOS

• What GLP-1 medications like semaglutide are showing in women with PCOS and what you need to know before considering them

Connect with Dr. Alicia Shelly:

• Website | drshellymd.com

• Facebook | www.facebook.com/drshellymd

• Instagram | @drshellymd

• Linked In | www.linkedin.com/in/drshellymd

• Twitter | @drshellymd

About Dr. Alicia Shelly

Dr. Alicia Shelly was raised in Atlanta, GA. She received her Doctorate of Medicine from Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine in Cleveland, OH. Dr. Shelly has been practicing Primary Care and Obesity medicine since 2014. In 2017, she became a Diplomat of the American Board of Obesity Medicine. She is the lead physician at the Wellstar Medical Center Douglasville. She started a weekly podcast & Youtube channel entitled Back on Track: Achieving Healthy Weight loss, where she discusses how to get on track and stay on track with your weight loss journey. She has spoken for numerous local and national organizations, including the Obesity Medicine Association, and the Georgia Chapter of the American Society of Metabolic and Bariatric Surgeons. She has been featured on CNN, Fox 5 News, Bruce St. James Radio show, Upscale magazine, and Shape.com. She was named an honoree of the 2021 Atlanta Business Chronicle's 40 under 40 award. She also is a collaborating author for the, "Made for More: Physician Entrepreneurs who Live Life and Practice Medicine on their own terms''.

Resources:

FREE! Discover the 5 Reasons Your Weight-Loss Journey Has Gotten Derailed (And How To Get Back On Track!) 👉 Click