Press Releases

As questions continue surrounding the coverage of popular glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) drugs, benefit providers are faced with managing costs while considering the overall health of their plan participants. The International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans has been tracking GLP-1 coverage since October 2023. Newly released survey data revealed the following key trends for GLP-1 drug coverage: 

• 60% of employers provide coverage for diabetes only (on the rise from 55% in 2025, 57% in 2024 and 49% in 2023) 

• 36% provide coverage for both diabetes and weight loss (same as 2025, up from 34% in 2024 and 26% in 2023) 

• 45% cover GLP-1 drugs for other FDA-approved conditions (sleep apnea, cardiovascular disease, etc.) 

Among employers not covering GLP-1 drugs for weight loss, 9% are considering adding coverage for weight loss. The majority (83%) of those employers are excluding coverage through a carve-out from their medical and/or prescription drug plan.  

A notable trend is the growing prominence of other approaches, including the following:  

• 27% of employers encourage employees to obtain via a direct-to-consumer platform. 

• 21% encourage employees to use their FSA, HSA or integrated HRA for GLP-1 drugs. 

“Most employers are not covering GLP-1 drugs for weight loss but instead focusing on how to support the overall health of their workers,” said Carey Wooton, CEBS, Associate Vice President of Education at the International Foundation. Covered benefits for diabetes and weight loss include disease management/case management (74%), nutritional counseling (61%), and bariatric surgery (61%). Other benefit options covered for diabetes or weight loss include lifestyle modification programs, other prescription/non-GLP-1 drugs and medication-free weight-loss interventions. 

Cost remains a primary driver in employer decisions around GLP-1 coverage. In 2023, respondents said GLP-1 drugs accounted for 6.9 % of annual claims, a figure that climbed to 11.4% in 2026. 

The top ten factors for employers when considering GLP-1 coverage for weight loss are:  

• Broker/consultant/PBM recommendations—58% 

• Obesity as a risk factor for chronic diseases and associated costs—46% 

• Impact/effectiveness of cost-control mechanisms on health insurance premiums—44% 

• Long-term costs and difficulty measuring outcomes—41% 

• Availability of direct-to-consumer options—39%  

• Oral pill forms available—34% 

• Selecting and monitoring vendor point solutions—32% 

• Medication adherence factors—30% 

• Immediate/short-term costs—29% 

• Expanded price transparency and flat-fee pricing—26% 

Visit www.ifebp.org/GLP2026 for more information.