Just 18% of Employers Cover GLP-1 Drugs
DESPITE the boom in popularity of expensive GLP-1 drugs to treat weight loss, fewer than one in five large employers are covering such prescriptions. And even those employers that do cover these drugs, which include Wegovy, Rybelsus, Saxenda, Zepbound and Ozempic, such coverage comes with conditions.
GLP-1 drugs, or Glucagon-like peptide-1agonists, are used to help control blood sugar levels in people with type-2 diabetes and have also been shown to effectively help people lose weight. They are often used off label for weight loss.
But the high price of these drugs, which can cost $700 to $1,400 a month before any insurance or rebates kick in, has raised issues among employers and health insurance companies that decide whether to pay for them, according to KFF’s 2024 benchmark Employer Health Survey, which included a random sample of more than 2,100 large and small employers.
KFF’s analysis shows 18% of companies with 200 or more employees cover GLP-1 drugs while 25% of employers with 1,000 or more workers cover such prescriptions “when used primarily for weight loss.”
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